Effect of intracanal cryotherapy on postendodontic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Effect of intracanal cryotherapy on post-operative pain in single-visit endodontic retreatment: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

This randomized clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effect of intracanal cryotherapy with 2-4 °C normal saline irrigation on post-operative pain after single-visit non-surgical root canal retreatment.

METHODS

Forty-six single-rooted, single-canal teeth requiring non-surgical root canal retreatment were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 23): a cryotherapy group and a control group. All the treatments were completed during a single visit. A combination of nickel-titanium and stainless-steel files was used for the removal of gutta-percha and root canal preparation, and irrigation was performed using 5.25% NaOCl and 17% EDTA. The cryotherapy group had a final irrigation temperature of 2-4 °C for 5 min before root canal obturation, whereas the control group received irrigation at room temperature. Post-operative pain levels were assessed via the Numerical Rating Scale at 6, 18, 24, 48, 72, and 168 h (up to 7 days). The number of analgesics consumed at the same intervals was also recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-Square test, Mann-Whitney test, and Independent Samples test, with the significance level set at 0.05.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant difference in post-operative pain between the cryotherapy group and the control group at 6 h after treatment (P < 0.05). However, post-operative pain levels were not significantly different at 18, 24, 48, 72, or 168 h after treatment (P > 0.05). Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of analgesic intake (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Intracanal cryotherapy can effectively reduce short-term post-operative pain, but it has no effect on long-term pain or the need for analgesics.

Efficacy of local anesthesia with cryotherapy on teeth with molar incisal hypomineralization: a randomized control trial

Background

Tooth hypersensitivity presents a significant clinical challenge in managing molar-incisal hypomineralization (MIH), potentially compromising the effectiveness of restorative treatments. Cryotherapy has emerged as a promising approach to reduce pain and inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of cryotherapy as an adjuvant to nerve blocks in reducing operative pain and sensitivity in patients.

Methods

A split-mouth randomized controlled trial was conducted in 28 patients with MIH of the right and left lower molars. ie, 56 teeth. Group (1) control group (n = 28) was administered an Inferior Alveolar Nerve block and group (2) was administered cryotherapy spray after the Inferior Alveolar Nerve block. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scales were used to compare intraoperative pain. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the significance across the study groups, and the chi-square test was used to compare success rates between the two groups; a value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

For VAS scale, the mean value in Group A is 8.89 ± 0.79, whereas in Group B, the values are 4.71 ± 1.46. For the FLACC scale, Group A scores were 7.14 ± 1.04, and Group B scores were 4.48 ± 1.37. When intergroup values were compared, the FLACC and VAS scores were statistically significant at P < 0.001.

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this study, applying cryotherapy to tooth surfaces following an Inferior Alveolar Nerve block effectively reduces pain and sensitivity in teeth affected by MIH.

The influence of intraoral cryotherapy on postoperative pain and substance P in symptomatic apical periodontitis: randomized clinical study

Cryotherapy is widely utilized in medicine, particularly for pain management. This randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the effect of intraoral cold pack application (cryotherapy) on postoperative pain (POP) and the level of Substance P (SP) in patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis (SAP). Enrolled patients were randomly assigned to either cryotherapy or control group. After adequate anesthesia, access cavity, and biomechanical preparation of the root canal system were completed, the first apical fluid (AF) sample (S1) was obtained. A custom-made intraoral ice-gel pack was applied for 30 min in the cryotherapy group, while no intervention was performed in the control group. The second AF sample (S2) was collected 30 min later in both groups. Patients were asked to complete the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire to assess their POP. Quantification of SP in AF samples was performed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. Data were analyzed statistically, revealing a significant reduction in POP and SP levels in the cryotherapy group compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, a moderate positive correlation was observed between SP levels and POP (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, intraoral cryotherapy represents a simple and cost-effective option for controlling POP and reducing inflammation levels in patients with SAP.

Effect of cryotherapy duration on experimentally induced connective tissue inflammation in vivo

Objectives

This study tested the hypothesis that cryotherapy duration influences lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in a rat model.

Materials and Methods

Six Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were used. Five sites were selected per animal and divided into 5 groups: a negative control group (NC), 2 positive control groups (PC1 and PC2), and 2 experimental groups (E1 and E2). Cryotherapy was applied for 1 minute (E1) or 5 minutes (E2). An acute inflammatory response was induced in the PC and E groups via subcutaneous administration of 0.5 mL/kg. In the PC2 group, a catheter was inserted without additional treatment. For the E1 and E2 groups, 2.5°C saline solution was administered through the implanted catheters for 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. The rats were sacrificed, and samples were obtained and processed for histological analysis, specifically examining the presence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and hemorrhage. The χ2 test was used to compare the presence of acute inflammation across groups. Dependent variables were compared using the linear-by-linear association test.

Results

Inflammation and hemorrhage varied significantly among the groups (p = 0.001). A significantly higher degree of acute inflammation was detected (p = 0.0002) in the PC and E1 samples than in the E2 group, in which cryotherapy was administered for 5 minutes. The PC and E1 groups also exhibited significantly greater numbers of neutrophils (p = 0.007), which were essentially absent in both the NC and E2 groups.

Conclusions

Cryotherapy administration for 5 minutes reduced the acute inflammation associated with LPS and catheter implantation.

Post-Operative Endodontic Pain Management: An Overview of Systematic Reviews on Post-Operatively Administered Oral Medications and Integrated Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations

Endodontic treatment comprises the overall management of pre-, intra- and post-operative symptoms, including post-operative endodontic pain, considered as a complication susceptible of chronicization. Post-operative pain is very common and highly unpreventable and has a multi-factorial etiology and a potential pathogenic link to the acute inflammation of the periapical area, secondary to localized chemical, mechanical, host and/or microbial damage occurring during endodontic treatment. Considering the multitude of heterogeneous technical and pharmacological approaches proposed to control post-operative endodontic pain, the present study primarily comprised an overview of systematic reviews of systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials, summarizing findings on post-operatively administered oral medications for post-operative endodontic pain control, in order to note the most effective type and dosage of such drugs. Secondarily, a narrative review of the current evidence on technical solutions to be observed during endodontic treatment procedures, to control post-operative pain, was conducted to provide integrated evidence-based clinical recommendations for optimal post-operative endodontic pain management.

Is Intracanal Cryotherapy Effective in Reducing Postoperative Endodontic Pain? An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

This research aimed to assess the potency of intracanal cold therapy in diminishing postoperative endodontic pain. PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, the Web of Science, grey literature, and endodontic journals were used to identify randomized controlled clinical trials evaluating postoperative pain after a final irrigation with a cold irrigant (as an experimental group) and a room temperature irrigant (as a control group). The risk of bias was rated according to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool and the Grading Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to estimate the evidence quality. For the meta-analysis, a random effects model was utilized. The qualitative analysis contained 16 studies and the quantitative analysis contained 9 studies. The experimental groups showed a reduction in postoperative pain at 6 h (mean difference (MD) = -1.11; p = 0.0004; I2 = 72%; low quality evidence), 24 h (MD = -1.08; p = 0.003; I2 = 92%; low quality evidence), 48 h (MD = -0.38; p = 0.04; I2 = 81%; low quality evidence), and 72 h (MD = -0.69; p = 0.04; I2 = 90%; low quality evidence). A higher quality of evidence from more clinical trials is needed.