Evaluating the effect of different cryotherapy methods on postoperative pain in one-visit root canal treatment of mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis

Backgrounds: Cryotherapy might help in reducing pain after root canal treatment. This study aimed to investigatethe effect of different methods of cryotherapy on post-endodontic pain of one-visit root canal treatment in mandibularmolar teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study enrolled ۶۰ patients with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in amandibular molar tooth. Before obturating the root canals, teeth were divided into four groups. Group ۱: Control(without cryotherapy) Group ۲: intracanal cryotherapy with final canal irrigation with ۲.۵ °C normal saline for ۵minutes, group ۳: intraoral cryotherapy with the application of an ice pack ۳۰ minutes inside the mouth and Group ۴:extraoral cryotherapy. Patients’ post-endodontic pain was recorded on the first and third days. Data were analyzed bytwo-way analysis of variance, Tukey, and LSD post hoc test at the error level of ۵%.Results: Pain reduction was highest, respectively, in the intracanal, control, and extraoral cryotherapy groups on thefirst and third days, although not significant (p>۰.۰۵). In each group, pain was reduced on the third day after treatment(P<۰.۰۵). Pain showed no relation to gender (p>۰.۰۵).Conclusion: Despite the limitations, based on the results of this study, the application of cryotherapy has a limitedeffect in reducing pain after root canal treatment. Time is more effective than cryotherapy in reducing pain.