Double‐Blind Parallel Comparison of Single Oral Doses of Ketoprofen, Codeine, and Placebo in Patients with Moderate to Severe Dental Pain

Ketoprofen, 25, 50, and 100 mg, was compared with 90 mg codeine and placebo for relief of pain due to removal of impacted third molar teeth. Treatment was self-administered as a single oral dose under double-blind conditions in five parallel groups established by a random code in healthy young adults. Based on 129 patient evaluations of pain experience and pain relief, ketoprofen was shown to have a more rapid onset and longer duration of action than codeine. In the derived variables of SPID (Sum of Pain Intensity Differences) and TOPAR (Total Pain Relief), all three doses of ketoprofen, with no dose-related differences among them, were found to provide statistically superior analgesia to codeine and placebo. All five treatments were associated with some adverse reactions.