A comparison of the analgesic efficacy of flurbiprofen, diclofenac, dihydrocodeine/paracetamol and placebo following oral surgery

Summary One hundred and fifty-four patients entered a single-blind parallel study to compare flurbiprofen, diclofenac, dihydrocodeine/paracetamol and placebo, given post-operatively in the treatment of moderate to severe dental pain following unilateral extraction of impacted, mandibular third molar teeth under local anaesthesia. Flurbiprofen reduced pain and produced more pain relief than any of the other comparators. Significantly fewer patients on flurbiprofen took extra pain relief tablets and overall effectiveness was significantly better than in the other treatment groups. Twenty-two patients were excluded from the analysis because of insufficient pain, failure to take the medication as indicated or failure to return the self-assessment data. The incidence of side effects was low and, qualitatively, were of the type associated with minor traumatic surgery.