Post-operative dental pain and analgesic efficacy. Part I.

Two groups, each of 100 adult patients who had undergone either a periodontal or oral surgical procedure were asked to record their pain experience over a three day investigation period. The results show that post-operative dental pain is variable in its nature and intensity, but reaches its maximum intensity in the first 12 hours post-operatively. Women appear to be more sensitive to post-operative pain than men. Significant differences in the pain experience after different operative procedures were noted. Removal of impacted lower third molars and retained roots result in more post-operative pain than the various other operative procedures. The incidence and severity of post-operative pain showed no clear relationship to the duration of the surgical procedure.