Analgesic efficacy of diclofenac sodium versus ibuprofen following surgical extraction of impacted lower third molars.
OBJECTIVE
An evaluation is made of the analgesic efficacy of diclofenac sodium versus ibuprofen after impacted lower third molar surgery.


METHODS
The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups (ibuprofen or diclofenac). The difficulty of third molar surgery, performed under local anesthesia, was assessed by the degree of inclusion involved. The recorded study variables were pain intensity and the need for rescue medication during one week. The recordings were made once a day at the same time, using a patient-completed questionnaire.


RESULTS
Eighty-one patients were finally included in the study (87.1%). The results were similar in the first 48 postoperative hours in both groups, though on the third day the diclofenac group tended to show higher pain scores--the differences being nonsignificant, however (p<0.05). This tendency was also reflected by an increased need for rescue medication and the consumption of a larger number of tablets in the diclofenac group.


CONCLUSIONS
There were no statistically significant differences in analgesic efficacy between diclofenac sodium and ibuprofen, though the former was associated with an increased need for supplementary medication in the first two postoperative days (p<0.05).
Esteller-Martínez
Vicenç
V
Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Paredes-García
Jordi
J
Valmaseda-Castellón
Eduard
E
Berini-Aytés
Leonardo
L
Gay-Escoda
Cosme
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004008:Diclofenac / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery*
D000700:Analgesics; D004008:Diclofenac; D007052:Ibuprofen