Surplus acid in effervescent preparations while ensuring palatability of medicines and thus compliance, may produce unwanted dental side effects in children who are already medically compromised.
Aim
To describe the measurement of pain after oral surgery.
Materials and methods
A review of the literature describing the scales used to rate pain intensity, pain assessment by questionnaire, assessment of pain in children and older adults, the third molar pain model and factors affecting the pain experience in the context of managing pain after oral surgery.
Results
The most frequently used single‐rating scales are the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), the Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Faces Pain Scale. The surgical removal of a lower third molar with bone removal is associated with severe post‐operative pain and the procedure is used as a model for investigation of analgesic efficacy.
Conclusions
If pain is not assessed, then it is unlikely that it will be properly treated. The scales to measure pain intensity such as the NRS that can be used readily in the hospital, clinic or over the phone when the patient has been discharged home.
Aim
To describe the scientific basis of the contemporary management of pain after oral surgery.
Materials and methods
A review of the literature describing the concepts of pre‐emptive and protective analgesia and evidence‐based practice in the context of managing pain after oral surgery.
Results
Pain is the consequence of the interplay of numerous chemical mediators and a dynamic and plastic neuronal system, and so pain prevention and management requires the use of different classes of analgesic that act by different mechanisms and at different sites of action, ideally resulting in synergistic analgesia with few side effects.
Conclusions
Management can be challenging, particularly as much oral surgery is undertaken on an outpatient and day‐case basis, but significant improvement can be made to the patient's experience by considering the underlying mechanisms.
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