Objective: to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with self-medication in pre- and postoperative conditions in tooth extraction. Method: interviews were conducted with 40 patients from a university dental clinic between September and October 2018, addressing socio-demographic variables, medication use and comorbidities. Chi-square test with significance level of p<0.05 was applied. Results: the prevalence of preoperative self-medication was 52.5% and 15% after surgery, of which 5% self-medicated before and after the procedure (p<0.001). It was found that 68.4% of the respondents who self-medicated preoperatively were women, and postoperatively, 75% were men (p<0.05). The most taken drugs before surgery were analgesic (p<0.05) and after were anti-inflammatory (p>0.05). Conclusion: tooth extraction was a protective factor for self-medication. This behavior varied between sexes, requiring specific prescription protocols for men and women in dental extraction.