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Abstract

Analgesics can be used before surgery to alleviate postoperative dental pain. However, numerous studies have indicated genderrelated differences in response to analgesics. This study compared the effect of pre-emptive use of ibuprofen on pain relief between men and women following the surgical removal of an impacted third molar. The pre-surgery anxiety level of participants (30 women and 29 men) was assessed by Corah�s anxiety scale. Patients received ibuprofen (400 mg) 1 hour prior to surgical procedure. They were asked to record their pain intensity on a visual analogue scale and total number and the time of first rescue medication consumed over 24 hrs after surgery. Women showed greater anxiety before dental surgery than men. Pain intensities at 10, 12, 16 and 24 hours after the surgery were significantly higher in women than in men. Women significantly used more rescue medication than men; however, time to the first medication use was not significantly different between the two groups. Pre-emptive use of ibuprofen had lower efficacy in controlling post-surgical pain in women. This suggests that women likely need a higher dose of pre-emptive ibuprofen for sufficient postoperative pain control and highlights patients� gender as an important factor for improved pain management using this pre-emptive technique.

Biography

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