Effects of ibuprofen administration timing on oral surgery pain: a randomized clinical trial

Objective This study aimed to compare the analgesic effect of ibuprofen 400 mg given 30 minutes before or immediately after third molars surgery under local anaesthesia. Materials and Methods The single‐center, randomized, split‐mouth, triple‐blind, clinical trial involved 38 outpatients, for a total of 76 bilateral symmetrical fully bone impacted mandibular third molars. Each patient was undergone to separate surgical sessions for the right and left side, and ibuprofen was randomly administered 30 minutes before or immediately after the intervention. Study participants recorded pain intensity using Numerical Rating Scale‐11, the timing of rescue therapy intake, and overall tablets consumption over three days. Results The overall pain intensity score was lower in the group receiving ibuprofen immediately after (3.13 ± 2.46) than before (3.58 ± 2.40) surgery, with statistically significant differences only on the second and third day. The mean time to the first using rescue therapy was longer in the postoperative (598.33 ± 422.62 minutes) than in the preoperative (406.25 ± 149.79 minutes) analgesic treatment group (p=0.123). The number of supplemented ibuprofen tablets did not differ (p=0.530) between both groups. Conclusions Within the limits of the present study, ibuprofen administration immediately after surgery seemed to be more effective than preoperative administration.