You may find it of interest….
Adding to the complication are conflicting reports on the effectiveness of one of three primary strategies for managing pain and discomfort after root canal treatment—occlusal reduction.
Previous research has found both positive and insignificant differences to reducing chewing surfaces to prevent pain after root canal treatment. Iranian and Australian scientists noted the dilemma this creates for dentists and conducted their own study, published in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Endodontics.
54 subjects were treated in the post-graduate clinic of the Endodontic Department of Kerman Dental School in Iran from May 2009 to March 2010. Each subject showed irreversible inflammation of the tooth pulp (pulpitis) and mild tenderness when their teeth were tapped in the painful area with the handle of a dental mirror (percussion). Researchers randomly divided subjects into 2 groups of 27 each. In one group, the occlusal surface was reduced after root canal treatment, and in the other group it was not.
Patients recorded their postoperative pain on a scale in which 0 indicated no pain and 9 the most severe pain. Pain readings were recorded at intervals of 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours and then daily for 6 days after treatment. The patients were instructed to take 600 mg of ibuprofen if they required pain relief and also to evaluate the effect of the medication on their pain. 8 of the original patients were excluded because they did not return their forms.
Patients in both groups reported that their pain levels significantly decreased after root canal treatment. However, the 2 groups did not report significant differences in pain levels.
Referring to previous research showing a positive relationship between occlusal reduction and postoperative pain, this study’s researchers noted in discussion that “preoperative pain may have more effect than mild tenderness to percussion on the efficacy of occlusal reduction.”
The authors said in their conclusion, “Occlusal reduction in teeth with irreversible pulpitis and mild tenderness to percussion had no significant influence on postoperative pain after root canal preparation.” http://www.aae.org/joe/
.