Comparative evaluation of effect of intracanal cryotherapy and corticosteroid solution on post endodontic pain in single visit root canal treatment.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative pain after endodontic treatment is a common occurrence, and its prevalence is mostly high immediately after treatment, decreasing in one day and reportedly reaching minimal levels 7 days after treatment. This research focuses on the final flushing of the root canal with different irrigating solutions to reduce its occurrence. Aim: To compare and evaluate the effect of delivering three intracanal irrigants - saline at room temperature, saline at 2.5oC, and intracanal dexamethasone as final irrigant on postoperative pain after a single visit endodontics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This randomized double-blinded parallel clinical trial was conducted on patients requiring a single appointment root canal treatment, with a pain level of 4 or higher on the visual analogue scale (VAS). According to the final irrigating solution, all patients were randomly allocated into three groups of 15 each: 0.9% physiological saline (Group 1), 2.5oC cold saline (Group 2), and 2ml Dexamethasone (Group 3). Patients were instructed to complete VAS to determine their post-operative scores at 6hrs, 12hrs, and 24hrs following the treatment.

RESULTS: In all groups, mean VAS scores decreased significantly from baseline to 6hr and 12hr, with lower scores at 24 hours. Post-hoc analysis revealed no significant distinction in the mean VAS scores between 12 hours to 24 hours. Lower pain scores are observed in the dexamethasone group, followed by cryotherapy which performed better than saline at room temperature.

CONCLUSIONS: Final flushing with dexamethasone solution and cryotherapy is effective, safe, and a well-tolerated strategy to minimize postoperative pain after single visit endodontics. Key words: Intracanal cryotherapy, Cold saline, Dexamethasone, Postoperative pain, Visual analogue scale.