The objective of the study was to compare the analgesic effectiveness of dexamethasone and diclofenac sodium administered preemptively after surgical removal of third molars. Forty-four ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) I patients (19 men, 35 women; 16–28 years old) randomly and double-blindly received diclofenac sodium (50 mg) or dexamethasone (8 mg) or placebo 1 h before surgery. Intensity of pain, measured with a visual analog scale (VAS), was the variable studied at different postoperative times (1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 6 h, 8 h, 12 h, 48 h, 4 d and 7 d). The total amount of rescue medication (TARM) ingested (paracetamol) was another variable of the study. The Kruskal-Wallis statistical test was used. A p value of < .05 was adopted to reject the null hypothesis. The dexamethasone group showed lower pain intensity (p < .05) than the diclofenac sodium and placebo groups (p < .05). No difference in TARM was observed among the groups (p < .05). Preemptively administered, dexamethasone was effective in controlling postoperative pain.

A finalidade desse estudo foi avaliar os parâmetros cardiocirculatórios, pressão arterial sistólica, diastólica e média e freqüência cardíaca, durante procedimentos clínicos odontológicos. Dezenove pacientes, com idade entre 18 e 56 anos, normotensos, receberam tratamento restaurador em 3 dentes molares superiores. Foram monitorados nos períodos pré, trans e pós-operatórios, para a pressão arterial e freqüência cardíaca, de modo contínuo, a cada minuto. Os valores dos parâmetros foram obtidos nas fases: 15 minutos antes da anestesia; durante a anestesia tópica; durante a anestesia; por 5 minutos após; durante o preparo cavitário; durante o procedimento restaurador; por 10 minutos após o término. Os pacientes foram divididos em 3 grupos: A (sem pré-medicação); B (precedidos de diazepam - 10 mg) e C (precedidos de placebo). Todos receberam anestesia infiltrativa, contendo 1,8 mL de xilocaina (36 mg de lidocaina a 2% mais 18 µg de epinefrina 1:100.000). Não foram encontradas alterações dos parâmetros cardiovasculares durante os procedimentos clínicos. Quando comparados entre si, os grupos apresentaram diferenças estatisticamente significantes na pressão arterial diastólica, durante a anestesia.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular parameters during dental procedures: systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures, and heart rate. Nineteen healthy normotensive patients (18-56 years of age) received restorative treatment on three maxillary molars. The patients were continuously monitored by a non-invasive automatic monitor for blood pressure and heart rate during the pre-, trans-, and post-operative periods at the following stages: 15 min prior to anesthesia; during topical anesthesia; during infiltrative anesthesia; for 5 minutes immediately after; during cavity preparation; during restorative procedure; for 10 min after completion. Patients were divided into three groups: A (without pre-medication), B (preceded by 10 mg diazepam), and C (preceded by placebo). All patients received infiltrative anesthesia containing 1.8 mL of 2% lidocaine (36 mg) with epinephrine 1:100,000 (18 µg). There were no changes in the parameters during the clinical procedures. When groups were compared, there were significant differences in diastolic arterial pressures during anesthesia.