Papers of the Week

Extraction of mandibular third molars is one of the most commonly performed oral surgical procedures, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely used for pain management. Oral NSAIDs are associated with adverse events such as gastrointestinal disorders, renal and hepatic dysfunction, and platelet dysfunction. Topical analgesics have been proposed as an alternative to oral and injectable medications to safely improve postoperative pain relief. We will conduct a single-center, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized crossover trial to assess the pain-relieving effect of an ibuprofen-containing gargle in patients undergoing extraction of mandibular third molars compared with a placebo gargle.