Pain is the most important symptom that brings the patient to the dentist. Analgesics are the drugs which relieve pain as a symptom, without affecting its cause. Analgesics most commonly prescribed in dentistry for pain relief include the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and various opioid-containing analgesic combinations. Selection of an analgesic for the management of dental pain should be judicially planned. When prescribing an analgesic, the dentist should advice the patient to take the initial dose as soon as feasible and then follow a fixed dosing schedule for at least the expected duration of the most intense pain. In all cases, however, the primary analgesic should be taken on a fixed schedule, not on a “pro re nata” (p r n) basis, which only guarantees the patient will experience pain. This paper summarizes the currently available oral analgesics and their appropriate usage for pain relief in dentistry.

Keywords: Dental pain management; Analgesics; Prostaglandin; Endogenous opioids receptors, Fixed dosing schedule.