Influence of preoperative pain intensity on postoperative pain after root canal treatment: A prospective clinical study

ObjectivesThe aim of this prospective study was to investigate the correlation between the intensity of preoperative pain and the presence of postoperative pain, taking into account the variables sex, tooth type, arch, and tooth vitality.MethodsTwo hundred and seventy patients with pulpal pathology who were scheduled for routine endodontic treatment were enrolled in this study. Conventional endodontic treatment was carried out in a single visit. The chemomechanical preparation of root canals was performed with ProTaper instruments, and canals were obturated with a warm gutta-percha obturation technique. A structured questionnaire was used to record data on sex, age, type of tooth, location and pulp diagnosis. Patients were asked to record their preoperative and postoperative pain using a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Postoperative pain and the need for analgesic consumption were assessed at 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment. The data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U and chi-square test, and the significance was set at P < .05.ResultsThe mean level of pain after root canal treatment was 2.58 ± 2.80 on a