Does the pre-emptive administration of paracetamol or ibuprofen reduce trans- and post-operative pain in primary molar extraction? A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: There is no consensus whether the pre-emptive administration of analgesics reduces trans- and post-operative pain in primary molar extraction.

Aim: Investigate whether the pre-emptive administration of ibuprofen and paracetamol reduces trans- and post-operative pain on primary molars extraction compared to placebo.

Design: A parallel, placebo-controlled, triple-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted. Forty-eight children who needed primary molar tooth extraction were selected and treated under local anaesthesia and pre-emptive administration of placebo or analgesics. Self-reported pain was evaluated during the anaesthesia, extraction, and 2, 6, and 24 hours of post-operative period, using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Children's baseline anxiety, behaviour during the procedure, parents' anxiety, and post-operative analgesia were also assessed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression.

Results: No association was found between the use of pre-emptive analgesic and lower scores of trans- and post-operative pain compared to placebo. Children who presented negative behaviour reported greater pain during anaesthesia (P = .04) regardless of pre-emptive analgesia group. Children from the placebo group were more likely to need post-operative analgesia at 2 hours of follow-up (P = .03).

Conclusion: The pre-emptive administration of analgesics did not significantly reduce trans- and post-operative pain in children after primary molars extraction.