Acute Dental Pain Management Guideline (2023)

This clinical practice guideline will recommend how to manage acute oral pain in children.

The ADA Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania have written a clinical practice guideline for the management of acute pain in dentistry, including the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids.


Chairside and Dosing Guides

Chairside guide: Pediatric dental pain management without immediate care
Chairside guide: Pediatric dental pain management following tooth extraction
A dosing guide with pain management options for children with a toothache
A dosing guide with pain management options for children following tooth removal

Evidence Based Resources

Use the clinician and patient tabs below to access the full guideline, chairside guides summarizing the guideline's recommendations, "For the Patient" pages that explain pain management options to patients, and much more.


For Clinicians