title: Prevalence of Substance Abuse Among Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residents From 2006 to 2015.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Substance abuse in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) training programs is an important and under-represented topic in the literature. This study's purpose was to assess the prevalence of substance abuse in OMS training programs in the United States during a 10-year period and to determine the substances most abused by OMS residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey study was conducted by sending an online questionnaire to program directors and chairpersons of all OMS graduate training programs accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The content- and validity-tested survey asked respondents to report on substance abuse cases at their program from 2006 to 2015. Auxiliary questions asked opinions on substance abuse. To analyze the data, percentages were calculated, including the estimated prevalence of abuse; results were presented as bar charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six of the 101 OMS training programs (45.5%) responded. Sixteen of the responding 46 programs (34.8%) reported at least 1 suspected or encountered incident of substance abuse. The 2 most abused substances were alcohol and narcotics. During the decade studied, the prevalence of resident substance abuse was estimated to be 1.2%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The estimated prevalence of resident substance abuse has gone unchanged since Rosenberg's initial study in 1986 (J Oral Maxillofac Surg 44:458, 1986). With the introduction of new drugs and despite more stringent protocols, substance abuse continues to be a germane issue for OMS requiring ongoing attention clinically and in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Dental Student, Tufts University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, Boston, MA. Electronic address: pasqualepeckert@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Pasquale P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor and Director, Division of Biostatistics and Experimental Design, Tufts University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finkelman
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Director, Division of Anesthesia and Pain Control; Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Tufts University Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Morton B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D015995:Prevalence; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D066231:Surgeons / Q000523:psychology*; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology