Approximately 80% of patients reported taking an analgesic like ibuprofen for dental pain, with about 10% of them accidentally overdosing on it. The study was published on January 17 in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.
A significant number of patients with dental pain may overdose, putting themselves at risk of severe systemic complications, which shines a light on the need for improved patient education and safer strategies for managing pain, the authors wrote.
"Healthcare professionals who meet patients with dental pain should be aware that these patients potentially may be accidentally overdosed with analgesics," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Simon Storgård Jensen of the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.
Globally, dental pain is a widespread issue. To cope with dental pain, patients often are advised to take painkillers. However, many individuals in dental pain accidentally overdose on these drugs, which may lead to more serious health problems.
To investigate the extent of analgesic overdosing in patients with dental pain, 180 patients with dental pain seeking emergency treatment were included in the study. Their data were collected via questionnaires and interviews, according to the study.
Of the total patients, 149 (82.8%) reported taking at least one type of analgesic for dental pain. Of those who took analgesics, 15 (9%) inadvertently overdosed with analgesics. Of these, nine (5%) overdosed with acetaminophen, five (3%) with ibuprofen, and one (1%) with both acetaminophen and ibuprofen, the authors wrote.
Nevertheless, the study had limitations, including recall bias, since all data was collected from patient memory, the authors wrote. Although making patients aware of maximum analgesic doses did not prevent all patients from overdosing, healthcare professionals should offer individual guidance on managing their pain, they wrote.
"The extent of overdosing painkillers among patients with dental pain should not be ignored and that focused educational activities in the society and among healthcare professionals should be implemented," Jensen and coauthors wrote.