MANCHESTER, England, July 19 (UPI) -- Analgesic acetaminophen is an effective pain reliever after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth, showed a review by British and Dutch researchers.
A systematic review of 21 studies found the most effective dose appears to be 1,000 milligrams taken at six-hour intervals, according to researchers from the University of Manchester School of Dentistry in England and the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
"Acetaminophen -- Tylenol for example -- has been around a long time. It has a good safety record and is widely available without prescription," review co-author Kiaran Weil said in a statement. "Our findings suggest it is a good choice for dental pain."
The review, published in The Cochrane Library, examined data from 1,968 patients enrolled in studies that compared the effectiveness of acetaminophen versus placebo to decrease pain after surgical extraction of the third molars, or lower wisdom teeth.
The review included patients who received local anesthesia, intravenous sedation or general anesthesia; however, it excluded patients who took pain relievers at the time of surgery.
