Comparison of flurbiprofen and aspirin in the relief of postsurgical pain using the dental pain model.

This single-dose, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study evaluated the analgesic efficacy of both 25 and 50 mg of flurbiprofen (Ansaid, Upjohn) compared with 650 mg of aspirin and placebo in 164 patients who had undergone dental impaction surgery. Using the highly sensitive dental pain model, flurbiprofen appears to be an effective, peripherally acting analgesic with a rapid onset of activity. In the current study, it was superior to aspirin in terms of peak effect and duration of action. Although flurbiprofen is much more potent than ibuprofen, its side-effect profile did not differ markedly from that of ibuprofen in this single-dose study.