The primary obligation and ultimate responsibility of a dental surgeon is not only to restore aesthetic and function, but also to relieve pain which originates from dental pathology or surgical procedures performed. Post operative dental pain is mainly of inflammatory origin. Common traditional oral analgesics, namely salicylates, paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have been the drugs of choice, but are increasingly being superseded by newer designer analgesics, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. This article reviews the advantages and disadvantages of prescribing common traditional oral analgesics as well as exploring the potential use of COX-2 inhibitors as an alternative to these analgesics for the control of post operative pain in dentistry.