Comparison Between Prescription of Regular or on-Demand Ibuprofen on Postoperative Pain after Single-Visit Root Canal Treatment of Teeth with Irreversible Pulpitis

Abstract

Purpose: Prevention and management of postendodontic pain (PEP) is an integral part of endodontic treatment. NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, Ketorolac are the most common medications used for managing pain after root canal treatment. So the purpose of this study was to compare the effect of pain relief on regular versus on demand prescription of ibuprofen after single-visit root canal treatment in teeth with irreversible pulpitis. Materials & Methodology: The study was performed on twenty patients. Root canal treatment was performed and all the patients were given a ‘‘rescue bag’’ that contained 8 tablets of 400 mg ibuprofen and then divided into two groups. In the group 1- patients were instructed to use ibuprofen tablets if they felt pain and in the group 2- patients were instructed to take ibuprofen regularly after every 6 hours for at least three days. Patients were instructed to complete a form to rate their pain at 24 and 48 hours after the root canal treatment and were also asked to record the number of analgesic tablets they had taken. Records were collected and statistically analysed. Results: The patients’ pain levels in groups 1 and 2 were not significantly different at 24 and 48 hours after root canal treatment. The number of analgesic medications used by the patients in group 2 was significantly higher than the other group. Conclusion: Regular prescription of ibuprofen had no significant effect on postoperative pain compared with on-demand use of ibuprofen in teeth with irreversible pulpitis