[Interpretation of the American Dental Association practice guidelines for the management of acute dental pain with pharmacotherapy (2023-2024) and its clinical implications for China].

Abstract

Acute toothache is a common dental emergency. In 2023 and 2024, the American Dental Association successively issued evidence‑based clinical practice guidelines for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, establishing a new system that prioritizes nonsteroidal anti‑inflammatory drugs, strictly limits opioids, and implements age‑specific precise management. This article systematically interprets the evidence‑based foundation and age‑specific medication regimens of the guidelines. By integrating relevant Chinese diagnostic and treatment standards, expert consensuses, and the National Essential Medicines List, it explores localized implementation pathways from the perspectives of drug accessibility, prescribing habits, policy alignment, and primary healthcare resource allocation. It proposes age‑stratified analgesic regimens suitable for China and provides actionable recommendations for evidence‑based training, multidisciplinary collaboration, patient education, and pharmaceutical supervision. This article aims to provide Chinese dentists with a decision‑making reference for the pharmacological treatment of acute toothache that incorporates the latest international evidence and local realities, thereby promoting standardized and scientific acute oral pain management in China.