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Dental abscess - Management
What analgesia is recommend for dental abscess?
- Ibuprofen, or paracetamol if ibuprofen is contraindicated or unsuitable, is recommended first-line.
- Paracetamol and ibuprofen can be taken together if pain relief with either alone is insufficient.
- For adults, if taking paracetamol and ibuprofen together does not provide enough pain relief, consider adding codeine phosphate or switching to an alternative nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as naproxen or diclofenac.
- In people at risk of cardiovascular adverse events, ibuprofen up to 1200 mg per day or naproxen up to 1000 mg per day are preferred to diclofenac.
- For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, paracetamol is preferred. A short course of codeine may be added if paracetamol alone is insufficient.
In depth
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