Efficacy and safety of single-dose oral postoperative medications in reducing pain after endodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Post-endodontic pain is a common complication that negatively impacts patients’ daily lives. Single-dose oral analgesics are often prescribed after non-surgical root canal treatments to manage discomfort; however, their relative efficacy remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different single-dose postoperative medications for pain relief following root canal treatment (RCT). METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL up to February 2025 was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing single-dose postoperative analgesics with placebo in patients undergoing non-surgical endodontic treatment. Pain outcomes were assessed using Visual Analog Scales (VAS) at 6–8, 12, and 24 h post-treatment. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. Pairwise and frequentist network meta-analyses were performed, and treatments were ranked using P-scores. RESULTS: Ten RCTs were qualitatively analyzed, while five of them were eligible for quantitative analyses and were included in our meta-analysis. They were from four countries with a combined sample size of 347 participants. At 6–8 h, Diclofenac + Acetaminophen provided the greatest pain reduction (MD: -6.28, 95% CI: -11.99 to -0.56), followed by Novafen and Ibuprofen + Acetaminophen. At 12 and 24 h, Novafen and Naproxen consistently demonstrated superior analgesic effects, whereas Tramadol and…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a meta-analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 347 participants or records.
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