“A Rutgers study revealed that acetaminophen and ibuprofen outperformed opioids for pain relief after wisdom tooth removal, leading to better outcomes and supporting ADA guidance to avoid opioids as a first-line treatment.”

A study conducted by Rutgers Health found that a combination of acetaminophen and ibuprofen was more effective at managing pain after wisdom tooth removal than opioids.

The trial, involving over 1,800 patients, demonstrated that those treated with the acetaminophen-ibuprofen combination experienced less pain, improved sleep, and higher overall satisfaction compared to patients who received hydrocodone with acetaminophen, an opioid-based option. These findings have the potential to influence dentists to prioritize non-opioid strategies for post-surgical pain management.

In 2022, dentists, who are among the nation's top prescribers of opioids, wrote over 8.9 million opioid prescriptions. For many young adults, dental procedures like wisdom tooth extractions mark their first exposure to opioid medications. Research indicates that initial opioid use can increase the likelihood of future use and potentially lead to addiction.

The study's robust design and large scale, spanning over 1,800 participants across five clinical sites, make it particularly significant. Unlike smaller, tightly controlled pain studies, this research aimed to reflect real-world medication use. Patients treated with the over-the-counter combination were only half as likely as those on opioids to need additional "rescue" pain medications and reported greater satisfaction with their pain management.

These findings support recent American Dental Association recommendations to avoid opioids as a first-line treatment for pain. Researchers plan to expand their work to explore non-opioid pain management options for other dental procedures and scenarios, while ongoing studies at Rutgers are also investigating cannabinoids for dental pain relief.

(Source:https://scitechdaily.com/study-reveals-tylenol-and-advil-outperform-opioids-for-wisdom-tooth-pain/)