Evaluation of acetaminophen and aspirin in the relief of preoperative dental pain.

The effectiveness of nonprescription analgesics--acetaminophen and aspirin--in providing subjective relief of preoperative dental pain was evaluated in a varied population of adults. This study demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of evaluating preoperative analgesic efficacy in preoperative dental pain and provides evidence that acetaminophen (1 gm) and aspirin (1 gm) can alleviate dental pain better than a placebo.