Assessment of Pain Management Practices and Analgesic Prescription Patterns among Dental Practitioners in Indian Settings

Objective: To evaluate the patterns of pain presentation, management strategies, and medication preferences among dental practitioners, with a specific focus on analgesic prescription practices in various dental conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental practitioners using the 24-item questionnaire to gather expert opinions on pain patterns, patient demographics, treatment timelines, and drug prescription practices. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis, with results visualized through pie and bar charts created in Microsoft Excel. Results: This study involved 69 clinicians and most of them (62.32%) identified dental pulpitis as the most common source of pain, with 50.72% reporting that 51-75% of their patients presented with pain complaints. For third molar pain, 37.68% of clinicians noted impacted teeth as the most frequent cause. Regarding treatment, aceclofenac was the most prescribed analgesic following surgical procedures and root canal treatments (92.75%). The preferred combination for managing pain lasting less than 5 days was aceclofenac + paracetamol + serratiopeptidase, favored by 78.26% of clinicians. The survey also found that patients typically experienced pain for 4-7 days before seeking care for dental pulpitis, and many patients were unaware of the complications related to third molar impactions (50.72%). Conclusion: Aceclofenac is the primary analgesic for dental pain management among surveyed clinicians, commonly used across various procedures. While single-agent therapy with aceclofenac is preferred, combination therapy with paracetamol and serratiopeptidase is frequently used for more complex or severe cases. This reflects a tiered approach to pain management, adjusting treatment based on procedure and patient needs.