In vivo evaluation of painful symptomatology after endodontic treatment with or without the use of photodynamic therapy

CONTEXT: Postoperative pain control after endodontic treatment is important to maintain patient comfort. AIM: The aim of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate the postoperative symptomatology of endodontic treatments performed in a single session, with or without photodynamic therapy (PDT), using Reciproc #40 file in necrotic unirradicular anterior teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a prospective clinical study, 40 teeth indicated for endodontic treatment were treated by a single endodontist according to a preestablished protocol. The teeth were randomly divided into two groups (n = 20): control group (CG) and laser group (LG). After 24 h, 72 h, and 1 week of endodontic treatment, patients' pain symptomatology was evaluated through a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10, in which 0 corresponds to no pain and 10 indicates extreme pain. In both workgroups, similar protocols were used for instrumentation with the Reciproc system (R40), irrigation with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite, and filling by the gutta-percha plastification technique, in which the CG did not use PDT, and the LG used PDT after the instrumentation sequence. After the visit, the patients were given a prescription for ibuprofen 400 mg to be taken every 6 h if they experienced pain. RESULTS: The results of the study, analyzing the VAS, did not show any difference in pain symptoms between the groups at 24 h, 72 h, and 1 week (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that there was no statistical difference between the groups.