Post-operative dental pain and analgesic efficacy. Part II. Analgesic usage and efficacy after dental surgery.

The analgesics taken by patients after oral and periodontal surgery were noted over a three day observation period. Analgesic consumption matched closely the pain experience. The efficacy of self-prescribed analgesics was extrapolated from the pain scores obtained in the first 12 hours after surgery, and overall, the apparent efficacy appears poor. However, those patients who reported taking aspirin recorded significantly less pain than those who took either paracetamol or combination analgesics. Analgesic efficacy was not related to dose, although a significant correlation was noted between the number of paracetamol tablets taken and pain severity.