The prophylactic use of flurbiprofen to prevent post-extraction dental pain

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of flurbiprofen when compared to aspirin and placebo. The study medications were administered 30 minutes preoperatively and at fixed intervals four and eight hours later in 107 patients undergoing surgical removal of third molars using a randomized, double-blind design. The treatment consisted of flurbiprofen 25mg, flurbiprofen 50mg, aspirin 650mg, and placebo. Flurbiprofen was significantly more effective than aspirin and placebo with respect to pain severity scores and patient evaluation of the pretreatment dose. Aspirin was significantly more effective than placebo. There were no differences between the two doses of flurbiprofen. Side effects were minor and not significantly different among the groups.