Dental recommendation and prescribing patterns for systemic analgesics - a cross-sectional study

Pain management is a significant challenge in dental care, making analgesics the most commonly prescribed drugs by dentists. Since many analgesics are available over the counter, data on their use in dental practice is imprecise. This study aimed to gather information on the prescription and recommendation patterns for systemic analgesics among dental practitioners.

A total of 1,746 dentists were contacted via email and letter and invited to participate in an online survey. The survey covered four sections: personal data, acute and chronic pain management, preemptive analgesia, and managing at-risk patients.

232 dentists participated in the survey. Ibuprofen, typically at 600 mg, was the most commonly recommended analgesic for both acute and chronic pain. For acute pain, analgesics were prescribed for 1-3 days on average. Two-thirds of respondents did not use preemptive analgesia, and of those who did, 96.56% recommended ibuprofen. Notably, in 22.16% of cases, contraindicated analgesics were recommended for patients with renal, liver, or cardiovascular conditions.

The analgesics recommended by dentists are limited in variety and often do not align with specific clinical indications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, especially ibuprofen, are commonly used long-term, despite conflicting recommendations. A significant number of dentists prescribed contraindicated medications to at-risk patients. Only one-third utilized preemptive analgesia, underscoring the need for improved education and greater use of this approach in dental practice.

There is a clear need for enhanced training on analgesic use and preemptive analgesia to improve patient safety, particularly for those with risk factors.