Efficacy of Methylprednisolone Compared with other Drugs for Pain Control after Third Molar Surgery: A Meta-Analysis Study

Pain after third molar surgery leads to negative and unfavorable effects on the continuation of treatment and also the nutritional needs of these patients. In several studies, the positive effects of methylprednisolone in the optimal management of pain after third molar surgery have been mentioned; but no comparison has been made with other drugs; therefore, it is difficult to decide which drug is more effective in post-surgery pain management. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of methylprednisolone compared to other drugs for pain control after third molar surgery.

The present study was a meta-analysis; PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Mag-Iran and SID databases were used to identify clinical trials related to the purpose of this study. The keywords used were: methylprednisolone, acetaminophen, tenoxicam, ketoprofen, flurbiprofen, diclofenac, ibuprofen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, prednisolone, dexamethasone, corticosteroids, third molar surgery, postoperative pain, facial swelling, inflammation, open Oral irritation, adverse effects and safety records.

Evaluation of postoperative pain after third molar removal was performed using data from two clinical trials (113 people). Pooled analysis did not show a statistical difference when comparing methylprednisolone and other drugs within 6 days after surgery (RR= -0.312 - CI95% 0.001 to -0.522: -12% I=12 and P = 0.004).

Pain after third molar surgery is very important and its lack of management can have negative effects on patients' quality of life. Adopting preventive measures can be effective in managing this pain; Qualitative evaluation showed the superiority of methylprednisolone for pain control after third molar surgery compared to other drugs.