Acute Dental Pain Management Guideline (2023/2024)

These clinical practical guidelines present recommendations on managing acute oral pain in children, adolescents and adults.

The ADA Science and Research Institute (now ADA Forsyth Institute), the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine have written a clinical practice guideline for the management of acute pain in dentistry, including the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids.


Adult and Adolescent Pain Guideline and Resources (2024)

Clinical practice guideline on managing acute oral pain in adolescents, adults and older adults.
A dosing guide with pain management options for adults with a toothache
A dosing guide with pain management options for adults with a toothache.

Pediatric Acute Pain Guideline and Resources (2023)

This clinical practice guideline recommends how to manage acute oral pain in children under age 12.
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.