Analgesic Use and Effectiveness for Dental Procedures

Opioid analgesics prescribed by dentists may contribute to the larger national issue of the use and abuse of the drug. On occasion dental pain may be sufficiently severe to support the use of opioids. This study used both dentist and patient input to evaluate the use of opioid and over-the-counter analgesics following one of seven coded common dental procedures. The study includes a five day patient follow up assessment of the effectiveness of the analgesic. Baseline questionnaires were completed by eligible participants, and they responded to the day 5 follow up questionnaires.