DECEMBER 29, 2023
Data from a randomized controlled study indicate cannabidiol (CBD) is an effective alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relieving acute dental pain.
Acute dental pain can often be managed with NSAIDs, but safe and appropriate analgesic options are limited for patients who cannot tolerate these agents.
{ARTICLE-AD}“This is excellent news for patients and physicians as it is the first evidence that we can expand our analgesic armamentarium to include CBD for dental
Data from a randomized controlled study indicate cannabidiol (CBD) is an effective alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for relieving acute dental pain.
Acute dental pain can often be managed with NSAIDs, but safe and appropriate analgesic options are limited for patients who cannot tolerate these agents.
“This is excellent news for patients and physicians as it is the first evidence that we can expand our analgesic armamentarium to include CBD for dental pain and possibly other inflammatory conditions,” said study author Vanessa Chrepa, PhD, DDS, MS, an assistant professor of endodontics at UT Health San Antonio.
The study population consisted of adults (age range, 18-75 years), presenting at the UT Health School of Dentistry, in San Antonio, with moderate to severe odontogenic pain, defined as 30 mm or less on a 100-mm visual analog scale (J Dent Res 2023:220345231200814. doi: 10.1177/00220345231200814). The study consisted of two active cohorts, one administered a single dose of CBD (Epidiolex; Greenwich Biosciences) at 10 mg/kg and the second cohort given a 20-mg/kg single dose. The control group received a placebo.
Both CBD groups experienced a maximum median pain reduction of 73% from their baseline pain scores at 180 minutes after drug administration. The placebo group experienced a maximum of 33% pain reduction from baseline pain score. Further comparisons between groups “demonstrate that both CBD groups produced significant pain relief compared [with] the placebo group,” the researchers found.
Of note, Epidiolex is an FDA-approved CBD solution for epileptic seizures. “With a larger trial, we can work with the FDA to expand the drug's label to include analgesia and make it easier for physicians to prescribe to their patients,” Cherpa said. The researchers plan to conduct a phase 3 clinical trial to test the effectiveness of CBD for the treatment of acute dental pain that will include larger cohorts of patients in each group, as well as comparisons with other commonly used analgesics.
—Myles Starr
Cherpa reported no relevant financial disclosures.
