Efficacy of paracetamol in reducing post-operative pain after periodontal surgery

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, the efficacy of 2 doses of paracetamol (500 and 1000 mg) was assessed in post-operative pain after periodontal flap surgery. Both doses of paracetamol provided greater analgesia than placebo, however, significant analgesia (P less than 0.05) was only noted in the early post-operative period. The analgesia from both doses of paracetamol did not differ significantly throughout the 3-day observation period, however, greater analgesia was attributable to 1000 mg paracetamol in the immediate post-operative period. The results from this study suggest that paracetamol is an effective analgesic for controlling post-operative pain after periodontal flap surgery, with 1000 mg dose being more effective than 500 mg immediately after surgery.