Pain experience after oral mucosal biopsy: A quasi-experimental stud y

BACKGROUND: The biopsy of an oral mucosal lesion is a minor operation. Pain might be an unpredictable consequence of the oral mucosal biopsy. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence and severity of post-operative pain following the biopsy of oral mucosal lesions in patients attending in an oral medicine department of Kerman Dental School. METHODS: Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess post-operative pain in 60 patients. Seven days after the biopsy of oral mucosa, patients were asked about overall pain experiences and analgesic usage over 3 days following the biopsy. RESULTS: Forty percent of patients reported moderate pain in the day of the biopsy and 58% of patients experienced no pain in the third day after the biopsy. Thirty percent of patients used analgesic in the day of the biopsy and there was not any relationship between the average level of patient's pain and the location of the lesion removal, type of biopsy, type of coverage, maximum diameter and type of the lesions (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pain after biopsy from oral mucosal lesion is mild to moderate.