5 Topic Commentaries

Avoiding Breakthrough Pain Following Dental Implant Surgery

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  Yanfang Ren, DDS, PhD, MPH

  Professor and Clinical Chief, Howitt Urgent Dental Care

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  University of Rochester Medical Center — Eastman Institute for Oral Health

  We hypothesized that using a combination of the non-opioid pain medications and adding gabapentin to the mix for pain would be an effective strategy to minimize or eliminate opioids for dental pain.

  [Source]
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  Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD

  Director and Professor, Eastman Institute for Oral Health

  •

  University of Rochester Medical Center — Eastman Institute for Oral Health

  This study represents continued efforts by our team and other dentists to minimize the use of opioids for dental pain. Additional studies, preferably randomized controlled clinical trials, are needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of this approach. It is our duty to continuously seek safe and effective treatment for our patients in pain.

  [Source]
• 

  Elliot V. Hersh, DMD, MS, PhD

  Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology

  •

  University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

  In post-surgical dental pain, they work at least as well, if not better, than two Tylenol No. 3s, and work better than a single Percocet.

  [Source]
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  Michael Ashburn, MD, MPH, MBA

  Director, Penn Pain Medicine Center; Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

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  University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine

  In general, opioids are not proper to prescribe after most dental procedures.

  [Source]
• 

  Deborah Polk, PhD, FAAAS

  Visiting Associate Professor of Dental Public Health

  •

  University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

  The panel looked at the existing literature and got information about patient preferences. Based on that information, they were able to say, okay, here are our recommendations for how to manage this acute dental pain.

  [Source]