Management of acute postoperative pain after oral surgery.

This article provides a brief review of the acute pain mechanism as it relates to the effects of a surgical insult. A brief understanding of the physiologic modulation of acute pain establishes a rational framework for the concept of preemptive and postoperative analgesia. A brief review of commonly used analgesic agents is presented. Research in pain management and new drug development is ongoing as new concepts in neurophysiology and pharmacology are being elucidated.