RESUMO
PURPOSE: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are frequently used in oral surgical procedures in dentistry. The evaluation of the frequency of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) is accepted as a reliable cytogenetic method to assess the genotoxic effects of environmental factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, the genotoxic effects of various NSAIDs were assessed in 30 patients to who they were administered following encluosed third molar surgery using SCE analysis before and after the operation. The frequency of SCE was evaluated before the operation and after 3 days of etodolac, nimesulid and naproxen use. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of SCE between the preoperative and postoperative states in patients given etodolac, nimesulid or naproxen sodium. CONCLUSION: Short term use of selective and non-selective NSAIDs was not associated with a significant genotoxic effect that could be detected using the SCE method in peripheric lymphocytes.