Perioperative loxoprofen sodium is associated with lower pain and anxiety levels in dental implant surgery: a cohort study in China

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of a perioperative regimen of 60 mg loxoprofen sodium in Chinese patients who underwent single-tooth implant placement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 362 patients were allocated to either the loxoprofen group or the control group. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance seven baseline covariates. Postoperative infection rate, perceived pain intensity, anxiety levels, and overall patient satisfaction were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: The loxoprofen group demonstrated significantly lower VAS pain scores at 30 min preoperative (after premedication), on the evening of implant surgery, and at 24 h after implant surgery (p < 0.001). No significant difference in trait anxiety (T-AI) scores was observed (p = 0.426). State anxiety (S-AI) scores were significantly lower in the loxoprofen group at all three time points (p < 0.001). Postoperative infection rates did not differ significantly (p = 0.266). Patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the loxoprofen group (p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses confirmed beneficial treatment effects across age, sex, BMI, ASA status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and implant sites. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative administration of loxoprofen sodium was associated with significantly lower pain and state anxiety levels, as well as improved patient satisfaction. The analgesic and anxiolytic effects were most pronounced in the evening of the surgery day. The clinical utility of loxoprofen sodium should be further evaluated in randomized controlled trials. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A perioperative regimen of loxoprofen sodium significantly reduces pain and state anxiety, and improves patient satisfaction. It may be an effective analgesic in implant dentistry in China, and multicenter long-term randomized controlled studies are needed.