Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease involving bacterial biofilms in a susceptible host. The results is an inflammatory response the latter cases the major part of the periodontal tissue breakdown. Alveolar bone resorption is a major component of the periodontal destruction observed in periodontitis. Treatment of periodontal disease has included antibiotics and antimicrobial and other novel treatment modalities such as non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (Jeffcoat 1995) to control and modulate the host response to bacterial aggression.

Background: Prescribing analgesics after periodontal surgery is a common practice, however it can become a challenge for patients with systemic diseases and/or on long-term medications. Ketorolac tromethamine (KT), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), is incorporated into an adhesive film to overcome the limitations associated with oral, intravenous, intramuscular and/or sublingual routes of drug administration. This study evaluated the analgesic effect of a KT adhesive film for pain management after periodontal surgery.