Opioids are not among the most effective–or longest lasting–options available for relief from acute dental pain, a new examination of the results from more than 460 published studies has found.
Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone or in combination with acetaminophen are better at easing dental pain, according to new research conducted with the School of Dental Medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
The study examining relief of acute pain in dentistry–recently featured on the cover of The Journal of the American Dental Association–evaluated the safety and efficacy of dozens of pain-relief options.
“What we know is that prescribing narcotics should be a last resort,” said Anita Aminoshariae, an associate professor in the dental school’s Department of Endodontics and one of the study’s authors.
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