Harnessing Placebo Analgesia: Another Avenue to Opioid Reduction in Oral Surgery

While encouraging early signs suggest the United States opioid epidemic may have peaked, our eyes have been opened to the tremendous risks of subsequent abuse and addiction for the young patient exposed to opioids. This makes avoiding opioids especially important for the typical high school or college third molar patient. The 2017 AAOMS White Paper on opioid prescribing and pain management encouraged a multimodal approach to pain management; recommending NSAIDs for first-line analgesic therapy. In early 2019, the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery describes numerous adjuncts for treating postoperative third molar pain with the goal of reducing the need for opioids: a homeopathic recovery kit, intra-socket bupivacaine, preemptive intravenous ibuprofen or acetaminophen, oral bromelain, submucosal tramadol.
Source: Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Source Type: research