Pain Medication as an Indicator of Interference With Lifestyle and Oral Function During Recovery After Third Molar Surgery

Patients with pain sufficient to prompt taking pain medications were likely to report interference with recovery for lifestyle and oral function. A patient's choice to take pain medication appears to be a better indicator of a patient's perceived pain and the impact of that pain on recovery than numerical pain scales. This method provides more sensitive behavioral information during the period of recovery after third molar removal.