The American Dental Association (ADA) has updated their clinical practice guidelines to recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat acute dental pain for patients 12 and older.
NSAIDs were found to effectively manage dental pain when immediately dental care is not available. NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can be taken on their own or with acetaminophen.
The guideline also provides advice on when to prescribe opioids, with a focus on limiting unnecessary prescriptions, and what to do if you are prescribing them.
“It’s important to take special consideration when prescribing any type of pain reliever, and now, dentists have a set of evidence-based recommendations to determine the best care for their patients,” said Paul A. Moore, D.M.D., Ph.D., guideline senior author, chair of the guideline panel and professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.
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