Many of today’s post-surgical pain medications remain classified as opioids. And unfortunately, there are still far too many patients who are developing addictions to these meds. This is where the new non-opioid medication Exparel comes in. It provides proven and effective pain relief for dental implant patients without the effects of opioid addiction risks. Although Exparel works wonders, to understand how it works, we need to understand how current post-surgical pain management solutions work.
Current Post-Surgical Pain Management Solutions
Post-surgical pain is a reaction to tissue trauma that is caused by surgery. During various procedures, like dental implant surgery, for example, your nerve endings of the surgical area become traumatized or damaged. Hence, this causes nerves to react by being extra sensitive to pain. With an efficient pain management plan, your oral maxillofacial surgeon can ease the temporary discomfort that comes with post-op recovery.
Current treatments usually include a combination of therapies since the pain is complex enough to require multiple medications. One of them includes the use of anesthetics such as bupivacaine which is applied to the site of the incision. However, this drug wears off in 7 hours after which the pain comes back harsher than ever.
Traditional Options
Though opioids are effective at keeping pain under control, they can lead to several harmful side effects like nausea, dizziness, and addiction.
Non-inflammatory medications like Ibuprofen work well too. But they also can have side effects since they contain nerve blocking agents which block the nerves near the surgical site. Furthermore, this form of treatment is not as efficient for solely treating localized dental implant pain.
The Exparel Advantage
Exparel is an innovative combination of Bupivacaine and DepoFoam medication. It is an effective and proven formulation that allows the drug to keep patients pain-free after surgery for at least 72 hours. DepoFoam works by covering the medication in particles to release it over time, while also keeping its strength intact. This helps ensure prolonged pain relief. Also, this formulated solution allows the administration of bupivacaine over a prolonged period. As such, it helps eliminate the need for opioids or additional pain medication.
Unlike other pain management solutions, Exparel does not come with harmful side effects and is particularly effective for patients with a history of addiction. How so? Well, Exparel effectively manages associated pain directly at the surgical site rather than numbing your entire body. This is why it is proving to remain a superior option for patients recovering from dental implant surgery.
Need more information? The oral and maxillofacial surgeons of OMSH are here to help. If you live in Greater Houston and need options for missing or failing teeth, and wisdom tooth extractions, contact us! For immediate assistance, call 832-509-4505.
