Analgesic efficacy of diclofenac versus methylprednisolone in the control of postoperative pain after surgical removal of lower third molars.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the analgesic efficacy of methylprednisolone (corticoid) versus diclofenac (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory-NSAID-) after surgical removal of lower third molars.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective study on 73 patients for the surgical removal of their lower third molars. These patients were separated in two groups at random: a diclofenac group and a methylprednisolone group. A record card was filled in with preoperative and postoperative epidemiological and clinic data. The pain level assessment was made on a semiquantitative and an analogical visual scales and in relation to the amount of rescue analgesics consumed. Pain levels were measured at 1, 8, 24, 48 and 72 hours. In order to make a broad study of data, BMDP program was used for statistics.

RESULTS

In the pain described by patients in the analogical visual scale there were no differences between groups as a whole. There were no differences in the amount of rescue analgesics consumed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is less pain in the corticoid group but not as to justify its routine use.