A Rutgers Health randomized trial published in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that a combination of ibuprofen and acetaminophen controls post-operative pain better than the opioid hydrocodone with acetaminophen following surgical removal of impacted wisdom teeth. The trial enrolled more than 1,800 patients across five clinical sites, making it one of the largest studies of its kind. Patients in the non-opioid group reported lower pain scores during the peak-pain period in the two days after surgery, better sleep quality on the first night, and less interference with daily activities. They were also half as likely to need additional rescue medication and reported higher overall satisfaction with their pain treatment. The findings carry practical weight because dentists wrote more than 8.9 million opioid prescriptions in the United States in 2022, and wisdom tooth extraction is often the first point of opioid exposure for young adults. Lead author Cecile Feldman, dean of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, stated that opioids should not be prescribed routinely after these procedures unless a medical condition prevents the use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen. The results align with existing American Dental Association guidance to avoid opioids as first-line treatment for dental pain.