Analgesic efficiency of dexketoprofen trometamol in third molar surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy of dexketoprofen trometamol (DT) with other analgesic drugs for pain relief after third molar surgery. The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials comparing DT with other analgesics for third molar surgery. The outcome measures were the sum of pain intensity differences (SPID), total pain relief (TOTPAR) at the 6^th and 8^th postoperative hours, time to rescue medication, and tolerability. In total, four studies met our inclusion criteria. A total of 660 third molar surgeries were performed: 365 in the DT group and 295 in the active control group. Compared to other analgesics, DT produced significantly better pain relief at the 6^th postoperative hour: SPID (MD, 0.33; P = 0.01) and TOTPAR (MD, 0.41; P = 0.02). However, there were no statistically significant differences in the efficiency of pain relief at the 8^th postoperative hour, time to rescue medication, or tolerability. Overall, a 25 mg dose produced the best results for pain relief. In conclusion, DT (25 mg) is a viable alternative to contemporary analgesics for pain relief after third molar surgery, particularly during the early postoperative period.