Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute dental pain

Objective: In the United States, on average, every 15 s, someone visits a hospital emergency department (ED) for a dental condition. This commentary summarizes the recommendations from a 2024 clinical practice guideline for the pharmacological management of acute dental pain associated with tooth extractions and toothache applicable to ED settings, hospitals, and urgent care clinics where definitive dental treatment is not immediately available.

Methods: A guideline panel convened by the American Dental Association, the ADA Science & Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and Penn Dental Medicine examined the effect of opioid and non-opioid analgesics; local anesthetics, including blocks; corticosteroids; and topical anesthetics on acute dental pain. The GRADE approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence; the GRADE Evidence-to-Decision Framework was used to formulate 18 recommendations and six good practice statements.

Results: A beneficial net balance favors the use of non-opioid medications compared with opioid medications. When not contraindicated, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone or in combination with acetaminophen likely provide superior pain relief with a more favorable safety profile compared with opioids.

Conclusion: NSAIDs with or without acetaminophen are first-line therapy for managing acute dental pain following tooth extraction(s) and temporarily managing toothache. Opioids should be reserved for clinical situations when first-line therapy is insufficient or contraindications to NSAIDs exist.