Evaluation of the need to prescribe opioid medication to control post‐surgical pain of different periodontal/oral surgeries

Background To determine the level of perceived pain after different types of periodontal/oral surgical procedures, and the differences in patients’ selection of pain management, over the counter (OTC) versus opioid, based on procedure type. Methods Patients undergoing surgical procedures were asked to complete a pain questionnaire at four time points: 1) before surgery 2) first dose of analgesic at home, 3) 24 hours postoperatively, and 4) 72 hours postoperatively. The questionnaire consisted of numerical and descriptive scales to describe the perceived pain. Results A total of 198 patients completed the questionnaire. All surgical procedures were grouped into five major categories: bone augmentation procedures (11% BAP), teeth extractions (26% EXT), surgical implant placement (25% IP), mucogingival surgeries (21% MGS), and pocket elimination procedures (17%). IP surgery was associated with significantly less pain compared with MGS and EXT (P