Alexandria, VA, USA – A recent study published in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) assesses the effectiveness and safety of Cannabidiol (CBD) as an analgesic for patients presented with emergency acute dental pain.
The study, “Cannabidiol as an Alternative Analgesic for Acute Dental Pain,” by Vanessa Chrepa, et al., randomized sixty-one patients into three groups: CBD10 (CBD 10mg/kg), CBD20 (CBD 20mg/kg), and Placebo. A single dose of respective oral solution was administered, and subjects were monitored for three hours. The primary outcome measure was the numerical pain differences using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from baseline within and among the groups. Secondary outcome measures included ordinal pain intensity differences, the onset of significant pain relief, maximum pain relief, changes in bite force within and among the groups, psychoactive effects, mood changes, and other adverse events.
Both CBD groups resulted in significant VAS pain reduction compared to their baseline and the Placebo group, with a maximum median VAS pain reduction of 73% from baseline pain at the 180' time point (p<0.05). CBD20 experienced a faster onset of significant pain relief than CBD10 (15' versus 30' after drug administration), and both groups reached maximum pain relief at 180'. Number-Needed-to-Treat was 3.1 for CBD10, and 2.4 for CBD20. Intra-group comparisons showed a significant increase in bite forces in both CBD groups (p<0.05) but not in the Placebo (p>0.05). CBD20 resulted in a significant difference in mean % Bite Force change in the 90' and 180' time points compared to the Placebo Group (p<0.05). Compared to Placebo, sedation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain were significantly associated with the CBD groups (p<0.05). There were no other significant psychoactive or mood change effects.
This randomized trial provided the first clinical evidence that oral CBD has potential as a safe and effective analgesic for dental pain. Important limitations due to the small sample size include the inability to explore age- and sex-related differences. Additionally, factors known to affect pain perception, like pre-existing chronic pain, and other social and psychological factors, were not assessed but will be considered in the investigators’ next steps toward developing a larger-scale phase III clinical trial.
About the Journal of Dental Research
The Journal of Dental Research (JDR) is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the dissemination of new knowledge in all sciences relevant to dentistry and the oral cavity and associated structures in health and disease. The JDR Editor-in-Chief is Nicholas Jakubovics, Newcastle University, England. To learn more, visit https://journals.sagepub.com/home/jdr and follow JDR on Twitter at @JDentRes.
About IADR/AADOCR
The IADR is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit and private-sector institutions who share our mission. The AADOCR is the largest Division of IADR. Learn more at www.iadr.org.