New ADA Seal category announced

Seal will help practitioners, consumers identify non-opioid products for management of acute dental pain

The ADA Seal of Acceptance program has added a new category: Orally Administered Analgesics for the Temporary Management of Acute Dental Pain.

“As dentists take on a bigger role in stewardship of opioid prescribing, the category will help practitioners and consumers identify products to provide temporary pain relief between dental appointments, and which meet the ADA Seal’s high standards for dental product safety and efficacy,” said Purnima Kumar, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor of dentistry and chair of the department of periodontology and oral medicine at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and chair of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs.

According to ADA-endorsed guidelines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — NSAIDs — have been shown to be more effective at reducing pain than opioid analgesics, and are therefore recommended as the first-line therapy for acute pain management.

“This new Seal category helps to translate this research into actionable steps to benefit the patient,” Dr. Kumar said.

In 2023 and 2024, respectively, two ADA-endorsed guidelines were published on pharmacological management of acute dental pain in children; and adolescents, adults and older adults. To read the guidelines, visit ADA.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/oral-analgesics-for-acute-dental-pain.

More than 350 over-the-counter dental products sold to consumers carry the ADA Seal of Acceptance, and the ADA is accepting applicants for the Seal program.

To learn more, visit ADA.org/seal.