Evidence Based Analgesia and Alternatives to Opioids
Dr. Elliot Hersh will first review the biochemical and physiological mechanisms behind post-surgical dental pain and then discuss various double-blind randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of various analgesic agents following the surgical removal of impacted third molar teeth. A discussion of the “drug seeking patient” and the prescription opioid abuse problem will be highlighted. The final portion of this discussion will focus on meta-analysis data for various analgesics in both dental pain and other post-surgical pain models.