EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF INTRALIGAMENTARY DICLOFENAC SODIUM IN REDUCING POST OPERATIVE ENDODONTIC PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH IRREVERSIBLE PULPITIS

Abstract

Management of pain is the key to success in endodontic treatment. Diclofenac Sodium is the most commonly prescribed and most effective when administered to patients with irreversible pulpitis. The primary mechanism responsible for its anti‐inflammatory and analgesic action is due to the suppression of the cyclo‐oxegenase pathway by inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. However, the traditional oral route is less commonly preferred as gastrointestinal complaints are more pronounced. In this study 52 patients with irreversible pulpitis are randomly divided into 2 groups. The active group is given intraligamentary injection totaling 0.4ml of Diclofenac Sodium while the placebo group received the same amount of Lidocaine. Single visit endodontic therapy is performed by the same endodontist. Visual analogue scale will be used to score pain before treatment and 4,8,12,24,48 hrs postoperatively. The prime focus of this randomized double blinded study was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of Diclofenac Sodium through the intraligamentary route in reducing post treatment endodontic pain. Prophylactic intraligamentary injection of 0.4ml of 30 mg of Diclofenac Sodium was found to be highly effective in reducing post‐endodontic pain of vital teeth with irreversible pulpitis during the first 48 h. It was much more effective than a similar Lidocaine injection in reducing postoperative endodontic pain.