Characterization and treatment of postsurgical dental implant pain employing intranasal ketorolac.

The intensity and duration of pain following surgical placement of dental implants has not been well studied. Thus, the aim of this open-label study was to characterize the nature of postsurgical pain following the placement of one to three implants. The secondary goal was to explore the analgesic efficacy and tolerability of intranasal ketorolac in this patient population. Following implant surgery, postoperative pain was rated moderate or severe in 25/28 patients (89 percent), requiring prn analgesic dosing for up to 3 days in 14/25 individuals (56 percent). Intranasal ketorolac displayed an analgesic onset within 20 minutes, a duration of at least 6 hours, and was well tolerated by the cohort with brief stinging of the nasal mucosa reported by 9/25 individuals (36 percent).