European journal of oral sciences
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Combining paracetamol with a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor for acute pain relief after third molar surgery: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Severe pain after third molar surgery is often encountered and more effective treatment regimes are warranted. The objective of this study was to evaluate if the combination of paracetamol and rofecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, improves analgesic effects following third molar surgery compared with rofecoxib alone. Paracetamol alone was also evaluated. ⋯ The early onset of pain relief for the combination of paracetamol and rofecoxib, compared with rofecoxib alone, could be of great importance when treating acute pain after third molar surgery. After data collection for this study, rofecoxib was withdrawn from the market as a result of reported fatal cardiovascular events. Whether this is relevant for short-term use is unknown, but it has to be considered before rofecoxib may be used for pain relief following third molar surgery.