Introduction to drugs used to treat acute pain in dentistry

This topic covers practical information on drugs used to treat acute pain in dentistry. For comprehensive drug information, including precautions, contraindications, adverse effects and drug interactions, consult an appropriate drug information resource. If prescribing an analgesic drug or local anaesthetic, consider the benefit–harm profile of the drug in the individual patient; this requires knowledge of the patient’s medical history and concomitant medications, including prescription, over-the-counter and complementary medicines.

For a more comprehensive discussion of analgesic drugs, see Principles of NSAID use for musculoskeletal pain; Principles of paracetamol use for musculoskeletal pain; Nonopioid analgesics in pain management and Opioids in pain management.

For information on local anaesthetics used in dentistry, see Local anaesthetics in dentistry. For a more comprehensive discussion of local anaesthetics, see Local anaesthetics for acute pain management.