Dental Pain Management — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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EasyPharmacologyDental Pain ManagementMFDS Part 1

A 30-year-old adult has acute odontogenic pain while awaiting definitive dental treatment. They have no contraindication to NSAIDs and no active bleeding. If a single NSAID is selected in line with current SDCEP acute dental-problem guidance, which drug is the standard option?

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Correct answer: B — Ibuprofen

Ibuprofen is the correct answer. It is the standard NSAID option identified by SDCEP for acute dental pain and provides both analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Definitive treatment of the dental cause remains essential. Paracetamol is an appropriate non-NSAID alternative and may be used alone or with ibuprofen, so describing it only as an adjunct would be inaccurate. Codeine is not routinely preferred over simple analgesics because opioids add adverse effects and dependence risk. Diclofenac is an NSAID but is not the standard SDCEP dental analgesic option and has a less favourable cardiovascular safety profile. Aspirin is not routinely selected for dental pain because its irreversible antiplatelet effect can increase bleeding.

Reference: Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Management of Acute Dental Problems: Analgesia. Current online guidance, accessed 26 August 2026. https://www.acutedentalproblems.sdcep.org.uk/supporting-tools/analgesia/