by Lee Whitesides
In 2018 I was asked by my professional society, Georgia Dental Association, to put together a one hour lecture on the Opioid Epidemic and Dentistry. Being an Oral & Maxillofacial for 20 years and former Physician Assistant in anesthesia I thought I could prepare a suitable lecture to both inform and educate my piers after a few hours of research on the topic. I could not have been more naive or incorrect.
I began my research into the opioid epidemic with a slew of Google searches which plunged me down a rabbit hole from which I did not emerge for 8 weeks. I bought a host of books on Amazon to dive deeper into the topic. The more I read the more I realized the opioid epidemic was more than a few bad doctors at pill mills writing unnecessary prescriptions for addicts. The opioid epidemic was affecting the lives of all types of Americans regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity. Soccer moms, professionals, blue collar workers, and yes homeless addicts were falling prey to the deadly disease of addiction to opioids.
Being a man with a curious mind I focused my research on the etiology of the opioid epidemic. Nobody wants to become addicted to opioids, yet thousands were dying each year from opioid related overdoses. This had to start somewhere.
My research forced me to examine my professional career as I never anticipated. I learned dentist are in the top three prescribers of opioids and dentist typically are the first to prescribe opioids to a patient. Why? I looked at my schedule for that Friday and I had my answer: wisdom teeth. The bread and butter of my practice for two decades was young men and women 15 to 25 undergoing wisdom teeth extraction. I, like the vast majority of Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons, typically prescribed oxycodone or hydrocodone with acetaminophen for post-surgical pain management. Had I been an unknowing participant in fueling the opioid epidemic?
In my continued research of the opioid epidemic I began to see the ruined lives behind the staggering numbers of opioid related overdose deaths. Books like Beth Macy’s Dopesick and Charlotte Bismuth’s Bad Medicine help me see the people behind the statistics. Books like Dreamland by Sam Quinones and Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe educated me on the role of big business in the opioid epidemic. It was in these stories I saw the beginning of the plot that was to become my book, Painful: One doctor’s fight against the Opioid Epidemic and Big Pharma.
I decided to tell a story which closely resembled the story of the opioid epidemic and its major players: Big Pharma, corrupt doctors, and the individuals whose lives they ruin. My protagonist would be a naïve and flawed doctor who was desperate to rid himself of his massive student loan debt and provide for his family. Big Pharma and a greedy doctor would be the villains. Drawing on my experience as an expert and son of a trial lawyer, I used the platform of a malpractice trial to bring the protagonist and villain together. It would be a medical and legal thriller all in one!
In preparing my lecture to my dental piers and in writing Painful: One doctor’s fight against the Opioid Epidemic and Big Pharma I learned a great deal about the opioid epidemic. The stats are staggering and available for anyone to find, but behind the numbers are ruin lives of fathers, brothers, sisters, children, and friends.
Professionally, I have been forced to critically examine how I approach pain management for my patients and as a result I believe I am a better doctor. In bringing my characters to life I was forced to explore empathy and compassion for those who are struggling with addiction and frankness with those in the healthcare profession who ignore the potentially harmful aspects of opioids and prescribe without concern to patients just to keep them happy.
If you are in need of a suspenseful thriller with a medical/legal platform full of compelling characters I hope you consider reading my book.
Mac Whitesides DMD, MMSc was born and raised in North Carolina. Obtained a BS from Davidson College in 1984, Masters in Medical Science & Anesthesia from Emory in 1986, DMD from Medical College of Georgia School of DEntistry 1992, and completed training for Oral & Maxillofacial surgery in 1997 at University of Maryland Medical Systems in Baltimore. Painful: One doctor’s fight against the Opioid Epidemic and Big Pharma is his first book.