Sedation with Midazolam Leads to Reduced Pain After Dental Surgery

Our principal objective in this study was to evaluate the potential pain reducing effect of IV midazolam in patients undergoing oral surgery. One-hundred-twenty-five patients with impacted mandibular third molars requiring removal under local anesthetic were randomized into 2 groups. The first group (n = 64) was administered IV midazolam by titration until a clinical endpoint of conscious sedation followed by local anesthetic before surgery; the second group (n = 61) was the control and was administered only local anesthetic before surgery. The surgery was performed in a standardized manner in both groups by the same surgeon. Outcome measures were four primary end-pointspain intensity as assessed by a 100-mm visual analogue scale and a 4-point categorized scale hourly for 8 h, time to first analgesic, total analgesic (ibuprofen) consumption over the first 48 h, and a 5-point categorical patient global assessment scale (0 = poor, 1 = fair, 2 = good, 3 = very good, and 4 = excellent). Throughout the 8-h investigation period, patients in the midazolam group reported significantly lower pain intensity scores than those in the control group (19.0 ± 13.2 mm versus 28.1 ±12.8 mm, P