Your Opioid Prescription Could Be the First Step to Addiction ft. Sharon Parsons

"How you practice dentistry has changed in the last ten years. Why are you still treating pain the same?" - Dr. Sharon Parsons"I haven't prescribed an opioid in probably eight years because I now understand pain better." - Dr. Sonia Chopra----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In this powerful and emotional episode of University of Why, Dr. Sonia Chopra sits down with Dr. Sharon Parsons, one of the most trailblazing women in the history of dentistry, for an honest conversation about purpose, loss, and the mission that now drives everything she does.Dr. Parsons graduated from Ohio State University in 1981, one of just 21 women in a class of 210, at a time when quotas limited female enrollment to 10%. She built her career in an era when a man once walked into her office not for treatment, but just to look at her because he'd never seen a woman dentist. From practicing solo in Appalachia with no assistant to owning a quality-first practice in Columbus, Sharon's journey through dentistry is one of grit, independence, and quiet revolution.But this episode goes far deeper than career milestones. In 2015, Sharon lost her son Sean to an opioid overdose and her mother just eight hours later on the same day. Rather than falling into the abyss, she made a decision in that moment to move forward with purpose. She founded a nonprofit called A Voice for Sean and has since dedicated her life to educating dental and medical professionals about the realities of opioid addiction and the alternatives that exist.Together, Sharon and Sonia unpack the science, the misconceptions, and the practical solutions that every provider and patient needs to hear.Today on University of Why:Graduating as one of the first women in her dental class in 1981The role of mentorship when there were no women to look up toChoosing independence and never depending on anyone else to liveLosing her son Sean and her mother on the same dayChoosing purpose over the abyss in the face of unimaginable griefFounding A Voice for Sean to educate on opioid addictionWhy ages 13 to 26 are the most vulnerable window for addictionThe oral surgeon who changed his entire practice after one conversationWhy opioids don't effectively treat dental painNon-opioid alternatives: ibuprofen, Tylenol, Medrol dose packs, laser therapy, iceWhy every dentist and every parent should carry NarcanTreating patients like family and rethinking the prescription padThe documentary Women Shaping Dentistry and Sharon's upcoming speaking engagementsFollow Dr. Chopra:Instagram: @drsoniachopraDr. Sonia Chopra’s Website – Learn more about my journey and workExplore eSchool: HEREFollow Dr. Sharon Parsons: Instagram: @skpddsFacebook: HEREWomen Shaping Dentistry documentary: HEREA Voice For Sean: avoiceforsean.orgLove the episode? Please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs this message. Your support keeps this show going!