Pain following root canal treatment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Factors affecting the incidence of pain following root canal treatment: A prospective clinical study
IRAS ID
295316
Contact name
Robert Philpott
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 4 days
Research summary
Factors affecting the incidence of pain following root canal treatment.
Pain is a very subjective matter that can be defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Root canal treatment (RCT) is the process of eliminating pain by removing inflamed or dead pulpal tissues, cleaning and shaping the root canal system chemo-mechanically, to allow for the placement of a well-adapted restoration. Pain following RCT is an unpleasant outcome for both dentists and patients. It is thought to be due to the presence of periapical tissue inflammation and is multifactorial. These injuries can be triggered by inadequate cleaning and shaping, over-instrumentation and extrusion of debris, irrigant, intracanal medication, tooth type and position, gender as well as age. Thorough examination and investigation are imperative in order to diagnose pain following RCT as this will affect the management by the attending dentist.
Although many studies have been conducted to investigate the factors causing pain following RCT, there still appears to be contradicting results in the outcome as well as pain management, mainly due to the differences in the study protocols and small sample size.
This study aims at identifying the factors causing pain following RCT and the effect immediate post-operative pain has on the quality of life. Findings from this study will be useful for patient education as well as to help dentists manage post-operative pain, without jumping straight into tooth extraction or root canal re-treatment.
Patients referred to the Restorative Department, Edinburgh Dental Institute for RCT will be invited to participate in this study. The data will be collected as per routine RCT appointments. No additional investigations will be required. Pain will be assessed based on pre-operative and post-operative questionnaires. Pain review will be conducted via phone call at 12H, 24H, 7 days.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/YH/0180
Date of REC Opinion
18 Oct 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion