A comparative study of diclofenac transdermal patch and oral diclofenac for pain control during orthodontic treatment

Objective The objectives of this study was to evaluate subjectively the analgesic efficacy of Oral Diclofenac Sodium against Diclofenac Sodium Transdermal patch in the management of orthodontic pain. Materials and methods Forty healthy subjects in the age group of 16–25 years who were scheduled to receive fixed orthodontic treatment agreed to participate in this study. The transdermal and oral formulation of diclofenac sodium (Voveran SR) was used in the dosage of 100mg and was administered once daily for a period of three days. The postoperative pain was recorded on visual analog scale Results and observations. Statistical data, for the visual analog scale, suggested better pain relief on oral administration compared to transdermal at various time intervals. However the p values obtained suggested no difference in the efficacy of either route of administration over the other Conclusions The study concludes that transdermal diclofenac sodium can be used as an alternative form of pain control.