Translating science into the art of acute pain management.

Pain is a multistep process that originates in the peripheral nervous system at the site of injury, is transmitted and processed within the central nervous system, and is perceived at the level of the cerebral cortex. Each of these steps in pain transmission is subject to intervention, with the possibility of reducing or blocking the nociceptive information to result in decreased pain. Based on knowledge of pain processes, dentists can use analgesic strategies to prevent or reduce pain.