Postoperative Pain Following Endodontic Treatment in Patients

Aim: Diabetic patients may exhibit altered responses to nerve stimulation due to diabetes-related neurological damage. This prospective, non-randomized, parallel, blinded clinical trial evaluated postoperative pain following endodontic treatment by comparing two groups of patients—with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methodology: Eighty adult patients were included: 40 with T2DM and 40 without T2DM. At baseline, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were recorded. Endodontic treatment was performed and root canals were irrigated with 2.5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Postoperative pain was assessed by a blinded researcher at 6, 12, 24, and 72 hours using a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS, 0–10).

Results: Within the first 6 hours, 19 patients in the T2DM group and 24 in the control group reported pain (p = 0.429). After 12 hours, 11 T2DM patients and 19 control patients experienced pain (p = 0.165). At 24 hours, 9 patients with T2DM and 11 in the control group reported pain (p = 0.930). After 72 hours, 5 patients from each group reported pain (p = 0.186). No significant differences in pain intensity were observed between the groups at 6 hours (p = 0.139), 12 hours (p = 0.169), 24 hours (p = 0.387), or 72 hours (p = 0.687). However, regression analysis revealed that patients with T2DM had lower odds of experiencing postoperative pain (OR = 0.19; 95% CI = 0.04–0.77), regardless of sex, age, preoperative pain, tooth type, treatment modality, or sealer extrusion.

Conclusions: Patients with T2DM may experience less postoperative pain following endodontic treatment.