Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology, oral radiology, and endodontics
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Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod · Nov 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialPostoperative analgesia after lower third molar surgery: contribution of the use of long-acting local anesthetics, low-power laser, and diclofenac.
Postoperative pain is a common phenomenon after surgical extraction of lower third molars (LTM), and its successful control is an essential part of routine oral surgery. The aims of the study were twofold: (1) to evaluate the postoperative analgesic efficacy, comparing long-acting and intermediate-acting local anesthetics; and (2) to compare the use of low-power laser irradiation and the nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac, which are claimed to be among the most successful aids in postoperative pain control. ⋯ Provided that basic principles of surgical practice have been achieved, the use of long-acting local anesthetics and low-power laser irradiation enables the best postoperative analgesic effect and the most comfortable postoperative course after surgical extraction of LTMs.