The opioid crisis is nothing new in America, but now we're starting to gather a bit more information on what leads to the addiction that hurts so many.
Most opioid prescriptions are written after adults have their wisdom teeth removed. And every year, about 5 million Americans have the procedure...
According to the American Dental Association, they updated their opioid prescription guidelines in 2017, and in return saw half a million fewer opioid prescriptions as compared to just five years before.
Dr. Chad Brummett studies pain at the University of Michigan. He says research done at the University shows that there's actually a new drug combination that treats the pain better than the potentially addictive opioids.
"For many, dental care such as wisdom teeth extraction is the first opioid exposure," he said. "It could be like 50,000 kids each year becoming new chronic opioid users after just something simple like a wisdom tooth extraction."
Dr. Brummett also said it's very common for dentists to "write a backup prescription," just in case. And many don't tell their patients about the potential risks associated...
Read the full report on CBS News.