Comparative Assessment of the Effect of Ibuprofen and Etodolac on Edema, Trismus, and Pain in Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial

A prospective split-mouth clinical study: comparison of the effect of lornoxicam and etodolac on postoperative sequels following lower third molar surgery

PURPOSE

This study aims to compare the efficacy of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs), namely lornoxicam and etodolac for controlling pain, edema and trismus after removal of lower impacted third molars.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 20 patients comprised of both genders with bilateral impacted lower impacted third molars (in similar positions) was included in the present study. Patients were randomly assigned either to the lornoxicam group (8 mg of lornoxicam) or to the etodolac group (400 mg of etodolac). The drugs prescribed were handed out immediately after tooth extraction. Postoperative pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS). Edema was evaluated using reference lines on the face. Trismus was assessed using a caliper at maximum mouth opening (mm).

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in postoperative pain, trismus, and edema between lornoxicam and etodolac group (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results obtained in the present study, ıt has been verified that both lornoxicam and etodolac were adequately effective in the management of pain following third molar surgery. Lornoxicam and etodolac had similar impacts on pain, edema and trismus after impacted lower third molar surgical extractions.

Ibuprofen for acute postoperative pain in children

BACKGROUND

Children often require pain management following surgery to avoid suffering. Effective pain management has consequences for healing time and quality of life. Ibuprofen, a frequently used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administered to children, is used to treat pain and inflammation in the postoperative period.

OBJECTIVES

1) To assess the efficacy and safety of ibuprofen (any dose) for acute postoperative pain management in children compared with placebo or other active comparators. 2) To compare ibuprofen administered at different doses, routes (e.g. oral, intravenous, etc.), or strategies (e.g. as needed versus as scheduled).

SEARCH METHODS

We used standard Cochrane search methods. We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and trials registries in August 2023.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in children aged 17 years and younger, treated for acute postoperative or postprocedural pain, that compared ibuprofen to placebo or any active comparator. We included RCTs that compared different administration routes, doses of ibuprofen and schedules.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We adhered to standard Cochrane methods for data collection and analysis. Our primary outcomes were pain relief reported by the child, pain intensity reported by the child, adverse events, and serious adverse events. We present results using risk ratios (RR) and standardised mean differences (SMD), with the associated confidence intervals (CI). We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 43 RCTs that enroled 4265 children (3935 children included in this review). We rated the overall risk of bias at the study level as high or unclear for 37 studies that had one or several unclear or high risk of bias judgements across the domains. We judged six studies as having a low risk of bias across all domains. Ibuprofen versus placebo (35 RCTs) No studies reported pain relief reported by the child or a third party, or serious adverse events. Ibuprofen probably reduces child-reported pain intensity less than two hours postintervention compared to placebo (SMD -1.12, 95% CI -1.39 to -0.86; 3 studies, 259 children; moderate-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen may reduce child-reported pain intensity, two hours to less than 24 hours postintervention (SMD -1.01, 95% CI -1.24 to -0.78; 5 studies, 345 children; low-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen may result in little to no difference in adverse events compared to placebo (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.51 to 1.23; 5 studies, 384 children; low-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen versus paracetamol (21 RCTs) No studies reported pain relief reported by the child or a third party, or serious adverse events. Ibuprofen likely reduces child-reported pain intensity less than two hours postintervention compared to paracetamol (SMD -0.42, 95% CI -0.82 to -0.02; 2 studies, 100 children; moderate-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen may slightly reduce child-reported pain intensity two hours to 24 hours postintervention (SMD -0.21, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.02; 6 studies, 422 children; low-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen may result in little to no difference in adverse events (0 events in each group; 1 study, 44 children; low-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen versus morphine (1 RCT) No studies reported pain relief or pain intensity reported by the child or a third party, or serious adverse events. Ibuprofen likely results in a reduction in adverse events compared to morphine (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.83; risk difference (RD) -0.25, 95% CI -0.40 to -0.09; number needed to treat for an additional beneficial outcome (NNTB) 4; 1 study, 154 children; moderate-certainty evidence). Ibuprofen versus ketorolac (1 RCT) No studies reported pain relief or pain intensity reported by the child, or serious adverse events. Ibuprofen may result in a reduction in adverse events compared to ketorolac (RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.96; RD -0.29, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.04; NNTB 4; 1 study, 59 children; low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Despite identifying 43 RCTs, we remain uncertain about the effect of ibuprofen compared to placebo or active comparators for some critical outcomes and in the comparisons between different doses, schedules and routes for ibuprofen administration. This is largely due to poor reporting on important outcomes such as serious adverse events, and poor study conduct or reporting that reduced our confidence in the results, along with small underpowered studies. Compared to placebo, ibuprofen likely results in pain reduction less than two hours postintervention, however, the efficacy might be lower at two hours to 24 hours. Compared to paracetamol, ibuprofen likely results in pain reduction up to 24 hours postintervention. We could not explore if there was a different effect in different kinds of surgeries or procedures. Ibuprofen likely results in a reduction in adverse events compared to morphine, and in little to no difference in bleeding when compared to paracetamol. We remain mostly uncertain about the safety of ibuprofen compared to other drugs.

Efficacy and safety of ibuprofen gargle for postoperative pain after mandibular third molar extraction: A phase II, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized crossover trial

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to evaluate the postoperative efficacy and safety of using an ibuprofen gargle as a pain management strategy for patients who have undergone mandibular third molar extraction. We also ensured that the quality of treatment was not compromised throughout the study.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups: the ibuprofen-placebo (IP) group and the placebo-ibuprofen (PI) group. On postoperative Day (POD) 1, the IP group initiated ibuprofen administration, while the PI group started taking placebo. On POD 2, the IP group switched to using placebo, whereas the PI group switched to ibuprofen. From PODs 3-5, both groups were prescribed ibuprofen gargle. The primary endpoint was within-subject visual analog scale (VAS) score before and 5 min after the first use of the ibuprofen or placebo gargle on PODs 1 and 2 (ΔVAS5_ibuprofen  - ΔVAS5_placebo ). The incidence and severity of adverse events were assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 and a subjective rating scale.

RESULTS

This study enrolled 40 patients. The within-subject VAS5 of the IP and PI groups were 1.25 ± 12.0 and -5.26 ± 8.93 mm, respectively. The treatment effect of ibuprofen gargle was -2.01 ± 10.62 mm (p = .246). None of the patients in each group presented with serious adverse events or clinically significant complications (including dry sockets) after extraction. Transient adverse events, such as throat tingling and oral discomfort (grade 1), were observed in each group.

CONCLUSION

Ibuprofen gargle was safe but did not provide significant pain relief when used after mandibular third molar extraction.

Current and emerging COX inhibitors for treating postoperative pain following oral surgery

INTRODUCTION

The numerous drugs in the NSAID class are often used to treat acute postoperative pain associated with oral surgery such as impacted third-molar extractions. These drugs are effective in this setting and dental pain studies often serve as models for acute pain relief and for registration of analgesics. With numerous cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors available as monotherapy, for use in combination with analgesic regimens, and in different doses and formulations, it was our aim to determine if there were clear-cut distinctions among these products and dosing regimens.

AREAS COVERED

This is a literature review of recent randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating NSAIDs for use in postoperative pain management following oral surgery. Of particular interest were head-to-head studies, which might offer some insight into comparative effectiveness.

EXPERT OPINION

Postoperative oral surgery pain is largely managed in real-world clinical practice using NSAIDs, either alone or in combination, and there is good evidence supporting their use especially in multimodal therapy. Head-to-head and comparative studies do not show a clear-cut 'optimal NSAID' in this setting, although ibuprofen, ketoprofen, dexketoprofen, and naproxen have gained most acceptance. Combination therapy with other analgesics or adjuvants is largely accepted.

A triple-blind randomized clinical trial of different associations between dexamethasone and non-steroids anti-inflammatories for preemptive action in third molar extractions

The aim of this study is to evaluate the preemptive analgesic effects of dexamethasone (DEX) alone or combined with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in third molar surgeries. The subjects were divided into five groups (n = 20 teeth/group); subjects received only 8 mg of dexamethasone 1 h before the surgical procedure (DEX group), or in combination with etodolac (DEX + ETO), ketorolac (DEX + KET), ibuprofen (DEX + IBU), loxoprofen (DEX + LOX). Paracetamol 750 mg was provided as the number of rescue analgesics (NRA). Salivary PGE2 expression was measured preoperatively and at 48 h. Edema and Maximum mouth opening (MMO) were measured postoperatively at 48 h and 7 days. A visual analog scale (VAS) was performed postoperatively at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 days. Salivary expression of PGE2 showed a decrease only for the DEX group. Edema and MMO and NRA consumption showed no significant differences among the groups (P > 0.05). The VAS showed a significantly lower pain perception at 6 h after the surgery for the DEX + ETO and DEX + KET groups (P < 0.05). The combination of DEX and NSAIDS should be considered for preemptive acute postsurgical pain management in third molar surgery. In some drug associations such as dexamethasone 8 mg + NSAIDS (ETO and KET) in the pre-operative time, only a few rescue analgesics are necessary.

Single-Dose Ibuprofen-Arginine as a Preventive for Pain, Edema, and Trismus After Impacted Lower Third Molar Surgery: A Randomized Split-Mouth Clinical Trial

Objective  We examined if the association of ibuprofen with arginine has a better anti-inflammatory effect on pain, edema, and trismus after surgery of the impacted mandibular third molar than ibuprofen alone.

Materials and Methods  The study included 21 patients, 18 to 30 years of age, each with an impacted, and bilateral and symmetric third molar (total n  = 21) that required transalveolar extraction. Patients were randomly assigned numbers from 1 to 21. Group A received ibuprofen-arginine as preoperative medication, while Group B received only ibuprofen. Both groups received the same postoperative medications: amoxicillin + acetaminophen. All patients were evaluated for pain at 6, 12, and 24 hours. They were evaluated for edema and trismus before surgery; immediately after surgery; and at 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. Postoperative pain scores used the visual analog scale (BS-11). For facial edema and trismus, linear measurements used the method modified by Gabka and Matsumura.

Statistical Analysis  For the evaluation of data between Group A and Group B, we used the statistical software SPSS version 22. The Shapiro-Wilk, analysis of variance, the Bonferroni comparisons, and the Wilcoxon test were used. All tests were based on a significance level of 0.05.

Results  The study results reveal that the facial edema scores of Group A and Group B presented statistically significant differences ( p  < 0.05), while for postoperative trismus, there was no statistically significant difference ( p  > 0.05) between the scores of Group A and Group B.

Conclusion  As a conclusion, we can state that the use of ibuprofen-arginine allows for significantly better control of pain and edema, and shows a tendency toward better recovery from trismus, although without statistical significance. Based on this, we can assert that arginine improves the anti-inflammatory power of ibuprofen, thus generating better tissue healing after surgery of the impacted third molar.

Safe and appropriate use of diclofenac in chronic kidney disease: An Indian perspective

Pain is most common symptom associated with progressive disorder, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and is usually undertreated during the early stages of CKD. So, present review was conducted to evaluate the challenges for the management of pain in CKD patients and addresses the scope for considering Diclofenac as suitable alternative for pain management in CKD patient. The database PubMed and Google Scholar were searched from 1970 to Dec 2020 for literature published in English and all studies, review articles that examined the use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in pain management in CKD patients were included. Literatures revealed that there is a considerable challenge in appropriate management of pain in CKD patients include understanding the altered pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of analgesics in CKD patients and the risk of acute interstitial nephritis. The shorter duration of analgesics is acceptable and considered to pose a low risk of acute interstitial nephritis in patients. Considering that Diclofenac has a shorter half-life and high efficacy, it may be well tolerated in patients with CKD. The acceptance of Diclofenac is partly attributed to being a potent COX-2 inhibitor with the lowest IC50 and its rapid onset of action at lowest effective dose. In conclusion, diclofenac may be well tolerated in patients of renal impairment when used at lowest effective dose for shortest dose duration. Diclofenac is worthy of consideration in mild to moderate cases of CKD. For effective pain management, it is vital to evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of the available analgesics critically.

Photobiomodulation Therapy Improves Postoperative Pain and Edema in Third Molar Surgeries: A Randomized, Comparative, Double-Blind, and Prospective Clinical Trial

PURPOSE

Laser light has biological effects that can modulate inflammatory processes. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy on pain, edema, and trismus after the extraction of retained third molars.

METHODS

A split-mouth, double-blind, randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted in 13 patients with similar bilateral third molars who received intraoral application PBM therapy at 4 points with a diode laser at 810 nm wavelength, 6 J (100 mW, 60 seconds/point) on 1 side (the PBM side); and laser irradiation simulation on the other side (SHAM side). The pain was assessed through visual analog scale (VAS) at 0, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours, number of analgesic-relief (NAR), and mean time of first analgesic use; edema, through VAS, and linear facial measurements at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours; and trismus, through the mouth opening measurements at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours. The repeated-measures analysis was applied to assess the effect of the treatment, followed by Tukey's post hoc test for multiple comparisons (P < .05).

RESULTS

Thirteen patients (61.77% male and 38.63% female) with age of 24.16 ± 2.06 participated in this research. VAS showed that PBM controlled pain better (7.56 ± 6.25) than SHAM (32.25 ± 22.78) at 24 hours (P < .001) and 48 hours (19.47 ± 9.27 and 39.87 ± 4.21, respectively) (P = .011). VAS also showed that PBM controlled edema better (19.7 ± 13.27) than SHAM (32.38 ± 15.28) at 24 hours (P = .037) and 48 hours (19.47 ± 13.11 and 39.87 ± 22.77, respectively) (P = .002).

CONCLUSION

The PBM therapy in this study resulted in pain and edema reduction after third molar surgery and may be considered as adjuvant therapy after the surgical procedure.

Variations in reporting of clinician-reported outcome measures in third molar surgery: A focused review

Clinician-reported outcome measures (ClinRO measures) play a fundamental role in quality assurance throughout healthcare systems. With commissioners turning ever more frequently to ClinRO data to evaluate and compare individual hospital performance and casemix, and funding decisions increasingly relying on these data, agreed core outcome sets (COS) are essential for the collection of standardised specialty-specific outcomes. Beyond their role in service commissioning, COS enable standardisation of outcomes in clinical studies, allowing comparisons to be drawn between similar trials as well as pooling of data for systematic reviews and metaanalyses. This review explores those ClinRO measures most commonly reported in the third molar literature, highlighting inconsistencies in ClinRO selection, measurement and reporting among researchers. We recognise here a prime opportunity for the specialty to address this lag in COS relative to other surgical specialties. With the Quality Outcomes in Maxillofacial Surgery (QOMS) overseeing the institution of many subspecialty-specific national databases in recent years, OMFS is well placed to develop a series of COS for each subspecialty domain for the benefit of researchers, clinicians and ultimately, patients.

Multifocal Analysis of Acute Pain After Third Molar Removal

Background: To analyze the pain modulation capacity profile in a Brazilian population, the relationship between opioid receptor (OPRM1) and Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) 1polymorphisms and pain modulation capacity was determined through preoperative pain modulation tests and acute postoperative pain control evaluation, swelling, and trismus in 200 volunteers undergoing lower third molar removal.

Methods: Psychologic and clinical parameters were measured. Patient DNA was sequenced for single nucleotide polymorphisms in OPRM1 and COMT, and the salivary concentration of interleukin (IL)-2 (IL)-6, interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was evaluated. Primary outcomes were the influence of all predictors on the fluctuation of pain intensity using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and swelling and trismus on the 2nd and 7th postoperative days. Preoperative pain modulation capacity (CPM), pain catastrophizing scale (PCS), body mass index (BMI), and surgery duration and difficulty were evaluated.

Results: Salivary concentration of IFN-γ and IL-2 as well as the duration of surgery influenced the fluctuation of postoperative pain in the VAS, and in the sum of the differences in pain intensity test at 8, 48, and 96 h. BMI influenced swelling, while both BMI and COMT haplotype influenced trismus on the 2nd postoperative day.

Conclusion: Polymorphisms in COMT, salivary concentrations of IL-2 and IFN-γ, BMI, and duration of surgery were predictors for pain fluctuation, swelling, and trismus on the 2nd day after lower third molar extraction. This therapy was effective in controlling inflammatory symptomatology after lower third molar extraction and ibuprofen was well tolerated by patients.

Clinical Trial Registration:www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03169127.

Combination of etodolac and dexamethasone improves preemptive analgesia in third molar surgery: a randomized study

OBJECTIVE

This randomized, controlled, triple-blind, crossover clinical trial aimed to investigate the use of dexamethasone (DEX) and etodolac (ETO) as preemptive analgesia before mandibular third molar extraction.

METHODS

Patients were divided into three groups (n = 20 teeth each) based on the drug administered: DEX 8 mg (DEX); DEX 8 mg plus ETO 300 mg (DEX + ETO), and ETO 300 mg (ETO). Paracetamol (750 mg) tablets were administered as rescue analgesics. Pain was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h and 7 days postoperatively. Edema and trismus were assessed 48 and 72 h postoperatively. All data were subjected to statistical analysis, where a P value < .05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS

VAS scores and the number of rescue analgesics taken were lower in the DEX + ETO group than in the other groups (P < .001 and P = .014, respectively). At 48 h, trismus was similar among all groups; however, the ETO group showed the highest trismus 7 days postoperatively (P < .05). Edema was similar among all groups at all time points (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

The combined use of the anti-inflammatory drugs, DEX and ETO, resulted in better pain control and the need for fewer rescue analgesics than the use of either drug alone, which indicated their effectiveness in mandibular third molar extractions preoperatively.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This drug combination can lead to less pain, edema, and trismus and reduce the use of rescue analgesics in the postoperative period.

Comparison of safety and analgesic efficacy of diclofenac sodium with etodolac after surgical extraction of third molars: a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study

Background

Surgical extraction of third molars is associated with postoperative pain and swelling at the extraction site. Pain is commonly managed using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Postoperative pain is usually moderate to severe in the first 12 h postoperatively and lasts for 3–5 days. However, with NSAIDs, these symptoms usually subside within 24 h. Diclofenac sodium and etodolac are NSAIDs, more selectively cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, with good analgesic efficacies.

Methods

We compared the safety and analgesic efficacy of diclofenac sodium with etodolac peroral after surgical extraction of third molars in a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study. The subjective pain improvement and pain relief after 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h using the visual analogue scale were measured as the study outcome.

Results

Etodolac was equivalent to diclofenac sodium in pain alleviation at all postoperative time periods. No significant differences were found between diclofenac sodium and etodolac groups (P > 0.05). Both study medications were well tolerated and safe with mild adverse effects in only a few participants.

Conclusion

Diclofenac sodium and etodolac are comparable in terms of analgesic efficacy and safety after surgical removal of third molars.

Impact of Pre-Emptive Intravenous Ibuprofen on Perioperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Third Molar Extraction: A Randomised Controlled Study

Objective

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of pre-emptive intravenous (iv) ibuprofen on pain during and after the mandibular third molar surgery.

Methods

A total of 60 patients were included in the study. They were allocated as ibuprofen 800 mg iv+dexketoprofen 50 mg (group 1), ibuprofen 800 mg iv alone (group 2) or placebo (group 3). A local anaesthetic infiltration was administered to all patients. In all patients, haemodynamic values (mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR)) were recorded preoperatively, and infusions were started. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale was used to assess anxiety states. Surgery started 15 min after the infusion. Haemodynamic values and pain scores with visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded. Pain scores were recorded postoperatively at rest (VASR) and swallowing (VASS).

Results

There was no significant difference in the preoperative STAI values between the groups (p>0.05). HR, MAP and VAS pain scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). VASR and VASS scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 1 in the first 4 h postoperatively (p<0.05). VASS scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 2 at 1-4 h postoperatively (p<0.05), but there was no difference in VASR and VASS scores at 48 h after surgery.

Conclusion

Ibuprofen alone or in combination with dexketoprofen provided similar analgesia in the perioperative period when administered pre-emptively.

Three-Dimensional Evaluation of the Effects of Kinesio Taping on Postoperative Swelling and Pain after Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion

Objectives

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of kinesio taping on pain and swelling after surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion.

Material and Methods

A total of 21 (12 male and 9 female) patients with transverse maxillary deficiency were enrolled in the study. Kinesio taping (KT) was applied unilaterally in each patient, whereby sides of the face with KT application were included into the (a) KT group and the other sides were included into the (b) non-KT group. Changes in facial volume were evaluated on digital images using the 3dMD Face System. Pain scores were assessed at postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 using the visual analog scale (VAS). Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and Mann Whitney U test were used for statistical analyses.

Results

Swelling was significantly lower in the KT group compared to the non-KT group from T0 to T1 (36.42 [SD 19.71] mm³ vs. 183.84 [SD 49.33] mm³) and was significantly greater in the non-KT group compared to the KT group from T0 to T2 (70.88 [SD 15.73] mm³ vs. 21.46 [SD 13.39] mm³) (P < 0.001 for both). The VAS scores were significantly lower in the KT group compared to the non-KT group at all time points (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The application of kinesio taping after maxillofacial surgery reduced the pain and swelling in the postoperative period. Kinesio taping can be used as an alternative to other methods that are used for the reduction of postoperative complaints.

Does Pre-Emptive Administration of Intravenous Ibuprofen (Caldolor) or Intravenous Acetaminophen (Ofirmev) Reduce Postoperative Pain and Subsequent Narcotic Consumption After Third Molar Surgery?

PURPOSE

Pre-emptive analgesia is known to reduce postoperative pain after third molar removal. The purpose of this study was to compare postoperative pain in patients receiving either preoperative intravenous (IV) ibuprofen or preoperative IV acetaminophen for third molar surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study was a randomized, single-blinded clinical study conducted in patients undergoing surgical extraction of 2 or more impacted third molars under deep sedation. This study compared 2 interventions: 800 mg of IV ibuprofen (Caldolor; Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Nashville, TN) and 1,000 mg of IV acetaminophen (Ofirmev; Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Staines-upon-Thames, United Kingdom). The primary outcome variable was postoperative pain measured on a visual analog scale at different time points. The secondary outcome variable was the amount of postoperative analgesic (narcotic and over-the-counter) medication taken in both groups. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare groups in terms of outcomes, the χ² test was used to assess associations between nominal variables, and Spearman correlations were used to assess associations between continuous variables. Significance was set at P < .05.

RESULTS

The study sample consisted of 58 patients (39 female and 19 male patients). A total of 41 patients (IV ibuprofen, n = 19; IV acetaminophen, n = 22) completed the study. Equal distributions of age, gender, and number of impacted teeth were noted between the groups. At 4 hours postoperatively, the pain level in the ibuprofen group was significantly lower than that in the acetaminophen group (P = .004). This trend continued at 24 hours (P = .019) and 48 hours (P = .017). The average amount of narcotic medication taken in the ibuprofen group (2.68 ± 2.26 doses) was lower than that in the acetaminophen group (7.32 ± 6.68 doses), and the result was statistically significant (P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-emptive analgesia with IV ibuprofen is more effective than IV acetaminophen in reducing postoperative pain and opioid use for third molar surgery.

Preparation, Characterization and In Vitro / In Vivo Evaluation of Oral Time-Controlled Release Etodolac Pellets

The objective of this study was to prepare time-controlled release etodolac pellets to facilitate drug administration according to the body's biological rhythm, optimize the drug's desired effects, and minimize adverse effects. The preparation consisted of three laminal layers from center to outside: the core, the swelling layer, and the insoluble polymer membrane. Factors influenced the core and the coating films were investigated in this study. The core pellets formulated with etodolac, lactose, and sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMS-Na) were prepared by extrusion-spheronization and then coated by a fluidized bed coater. Croscarmellose sodium (CC-Na) was selected as the swelling agent, and ethyl cellulose (EC) as the controlled release layer. The prepared pellets were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and evaluated by a dissolution test and a pharmacokinetic study. Compared with commercial available capsules, pharmacokinetics studies in beagle dogs indicated that the prepared pellets release the drug within a short period of time, immediately after a predetermined lag time. A good correlation between in vitro dissolution and in vivo absorption of the pellets was exhibited in the analysis.

Pain measurement in oral and maxillofacial surgery

Regardless of whether it is acute or chronic, the assessment of pain should be simple and practical. Since the intensity of pain is thought to be one of the primary factors that determine its effect on a human's overall function and sense, there are many scales to assess pain. The aim of the current article was to review pain intensity scales that are commonly used in dental and oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Previous studies demonstrated that multidimensional scales, such as the McGill Pain Questionnaire, Short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and Wisconsin Brief Pain Questionnaire were suitable for assessing chronic pain, while unidimensional scales, like the Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), Verbal descriptor scale, Verbal rating scale, Numerical rating Scale, Faces Pain Scale, Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale (WBS), and Full Cup Test, were used to evaluate acute pain. The WBS is widely used to assess pain in children and elderly because other scales are often difficult to understand, which could consequently lead to an overestimation of the pain intensity. In dental or OMFS research, the use of the VAS is more common because it is more reliable, valid, sensitive, and appropriate. However, some researchers use NRS to evaluate OMFS pain in adults because this scale is easier to use than VAS and yields relatively similar pain scores. This review only assessed pain scales used for post-operative OMFS or dental pain.

Mesiolingual root rotation for horizontal mandibular third molar extraction: position classification and surgical simulation

Extracting horizontal mandibular 3rd molars face considerable difficulty due to the large bone and adjacent tooth resistances. This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of a novel method-mesiolingual root rotation to extract wisdom teeth of this type. In this study, 73 horizontal teeth extracted using piezosurgery were reviewed and classified based on impaction depth: position I, II, III refers to the highest portion of the crown on a level with upper 1/3, middle 1/3, lower 1/3 of the 2rd molar’s root. Based on the surgical simulations on their 3D CBCT reconstructions, traditional method(crown distal rotation) and novel method(root mesiolingual rotation) are applied. 79.17% of teeth in position I and 57.89% of teeth in position II were designed using traditional method, 83.33% teeth in position III were designed using the novel method(p < 0.05). The surgeries were performed according to the designs. Two cases in position II using traditional method were found temporary inferior alveolar nerve(IAN) injury; while only one case in position III using novel method got temporary IAN and lingual nerve injury. Our study suggested that root mesiolingual rotation is an effective method to extract the horizontal mandibular 3rd molars, especially the deep impacted ones.

Comparison of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and diclofenac potassium for pain relief following dental extractions and deep cavity preparations

Objectives:

To compare the effectiveness of different oral analgesics for relieving pain and distress in adults following the extraction of teeth and deep cavity preparations under local anesthesia.

Methods:

This randomized controlled study was conducted between November 2015 and May 2016. One hundred and twenty patients were randomly allocated to 3 groups. Forty patients were in the paracetamol (1 gram) group, 40 in the ibuprofen (400 mg) group and 40 in the diclofenac potassium (50 mg) group. Evaluation of the post extraction and deep cavity preparations pain was made by patients immediately postoperatively, 2, 4 and 6 hours postoperatively on standard 100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS). Furthermore, each patient was observed preoperatively and immediately postoperatively for signs of distress by using a 5 point face scale.

Results:

There were significant decreases in mean pain VAS scores for diclofenac potassium group compared to paracetamol and ibuprofen groups at 4 hours postoperatively (one-way Analysis of Variance: p=0.0001, p=0.001) and 6 hours postoperatively (p=0.04, p=0.005). Changes in distress scores from the preoperative score to the postoperative score were made using the paired sample t-test. There were significant decreases in distress scores between the preoperative and postoperative scores (p=0.0001).

Conclusions:

Diclofenac potassium was more effective than paracetamol or ibuprofen for reducing postoperative pain associated with tooth extraction and deep cavity preparation. Patients’ distress levels can be alleviated by using preemptive analgesics.