Evaluation of NSAIDs in Acute Odontogenic Pain: A Quadriblind Study

Abstract

Odontogenic pain refers to pain arising from the teeth or their supporting structures, the oral mucous membrane, the maxilla or mandible, or periodontal ligament membrane. Management of odontogenic pain becomes challenging in the modern era to the clinician due to its diversified etiologies. Aim: The primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of NSAIDs in treating acute odontogenic pain due to acute pulpitis, acute periapical abscess, and acute pain after root canal therapy. Materials and methods: Patients visiting the outpatient department, Vinayaka Missions Sankarachariyar Dental College, Vinayaka Missions Research Foundation, with odontogenic pain due to acute pulpitis and acute periapical abscess were randomly selected. A total of 80 patients were considered and divided into 4 groups (n = 20 were prescribed paracetamol, n = 20 were prescribed ibuprofen, n = 20 were prescribed aceclofenac, n = 20 were prescribed ketorolac). The patients in each group were not aware of the analgesic drug prescribed. (quadriblind drug trial). Pain was analyzed by the visual analog score (VAS) graded from 0 to 10, and the VAS scores were recorded at initial, 30-minutes, 1-hour, and 2-hours intervals. Result: Ketorolac is better in relieving the odontogenic pain when compared to paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aceclofenac. Conclusion: Ketorolac is an effective NSAID in relieving the odontogenic pain. Clinical significance: This study helps to evaluate the effectiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for odontogenic pain and helps in identifying the more potent NSAID for odontogenic pain without the use of inferior alveolar nerve block.