Comparative study of the therapeutic effects of brands of paracetamol (acetaminophen) on experimentally induced dental pain

Abstract

SummaryObjectives: To compare the therapeutic effects of two brands of Paracetamol: Panadol® (paracetamol 1000mg) and Panadol-Extra®( paracetamol 1000mg and 60mg caffeine) on the perception of dental pain. Method: The setting for the study was the Oral Diagnosis Unit of the Dental Hospital, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals' Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The Experimental design was a single blind quasiexperimental repeated measure. Twenty volunteers with healthy permanent upper right central incisors were the subjects of the study. Using the Digitest Pulp Vitality Tester as a stimulator, the pain thresholds of the right maxillary central incisors were detected. Subjects were then given 1000mg of paracetamol (Panadol®) or 1000mg of paracetamol and 60 mg caffeine (Panadol -Extra®) orally and the pain thresholds were again detected and recorded at 30. 60, 90 and 120 minutes after drug ingestion. At one-week interval, subjects' baseline pain thresholds were recorded and they were given the other brand of the drug. Pain thresholds were recorded at 30,60, 90 and 120 minutes intervals. The data were analysed using the SPSS for windows (Release 9.0 version), p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Age and gender did not have any significant effect on the baseline or mean scores for both drugs. Overall, Panadol® and Panadol -Extra® individually demonstrated significant differences in tooth sensitivity when compared with the baseline. A comparison of the effects of both drugs however showed no significant difference in their effects on dental pain perception. Conclusion: Although both drugs had significant therapeutic effects on baseline dental pain perception, a comparison of their effects showed no significant difference in their effects on the pain.