Effect of intracanal cryotreated sodium hypochlorite on postoperative pain after root canal treatment - A randomized controlled clinical trial

INTRODUCTION: The postendodontic pain is caused by either microbial, mechanical, or chemical factors or combinations of these. The incidence of postoperative pain ranges from 1.4% to 53%. The management of postendodontic pain is a crucial factor for a successful practitioner. Cryotherapy is a new therapeutic option applied in sports medicine and surgery for the management of pain and for postoperative care. AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and to compare the effect of intracanal cryotreated sodium hypochlorite and room temperature sodium hypochlorite on postoperative pain after root canal treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-four patients were selected according to inclusion criteria and baseline score was recorded. After obtaining consent, the access cavity was opened under local anesthesia. On the completion of cleaning and shaping, the patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group A: Normal Room temperature NaOCl and Group B: Cryotreated NaOCl (2°C–4°C), each of the canals further received 20 ml of the respective irrigants based on the groups allocated. The final rinse was done with saline, and canals were dried and obturated in the same appointment. Postoperative visual analogue scale pain levels were recorded at 6, 24, and 48 h over the phone. RESULTS: The data were analyzed using SPSS software. The results of the present study showed that cryotherapy group showed a statistically significant reduction in postoperative pain levels at all tested time intervals and reduced analgesic intake at 6 h postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Cryotherapy could be used as an easy and cost-effective technique for controlling postendodontic pain in the day-to-day clinical practice.