Self-medication for the control of dental pain: what are our patients taking?

As all dental practitioners are aware, patients suffering from dental pain often self-medicate with over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics in order to alleviate their symptoms: indeed, some patients seem to view the use of these drugs as a means of avoiding the need for dental attendance altogether. The use (and abuse) of such medication is entirely under the control of the patient. The study reported in this article shows which commonly available analgesics are chosen by patients and how effective they are considered to be. The authors also assess the overall pattern of analgesic self-medication, and discuss the problem of over-consumption.