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Pain management is the key to providing successful root canal therapy. All patients hope for a painless procedure and look forward to being free of their symptoms when treatment is complete. However, managing pain throughout endodontic therapy can be challenging and improving awareness of various analgesic techniques can make a significant difference to both patient and practitioner. This article should provide some insight into these methods and use current literature to discuss how they can be delivered in a clinical setting. By doing so, practitioners can utilize these techniques to make endodontic treatment a more comfortable procedure.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: This article aims to improve the reader's awareness of the various clinical, pharmacological and behavioural analgesic techniques that can be used to help control presenting symptoms, reduce iatrogenic-induced pain and manage post-operative discomfort in the endodontically compromised patient.
Article
Pain is a common symptom that brings many patients to the dentist but in some cases keeps them away due to fear and anxiety. The Oxford Medical Dictionary defines pain as ‘an unpleasant sensation ranging from mild discomfort to agonized distress associated with real or potential tissue damage'.1 Dental care has become linked to this unpleasant definition and has regrettably developed into a common public perception. However, it can be argued that endodontic therapy is a prime contributor to this physiological and psychological discomfort and, although these procedures intend to eliminate symptoms, pain relief may rarely be instantly achieved.2 Strong evidence supports this link and, if we are to deliver higher standards of care, we must be aware of strategies to prevent, minimize and control pain before, during and after endodontic therapy.3,4 This article explores various tools within the dentist's armamentarium that offer help in managing pain and how to utilize them to allow for a comfortable endodontic procedure.
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