Mineral Trioxide Aggregate as root canal filling material tied to less Postoperative Pain

A recent randomized trial published in the BMC Oral Health unveiled promising results regarding root canal filling materials in the management postoperative pain. The study was conducted on 119 patients by comparing the postoperative pain levels between two commonly used materials—gutta-percha (GP) and sealer versus mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Researchers found  that Mineral Trioxide Aggregate as root canal filling material tied to less Postoperative Pain compared to gutta-percha (GP) and sealer.

Postoperative pain has been a challenge for clinicians which prompts a rigorous exploration of effective interventions. This trial focused on patients of 18-65 years of age with single-canal premolars diagnosed with asymptomatic apical periodontitis to address a critical gap in pain management techniques.

This two-arm, parallel-group, single-blind trial employed permuted block randomization to group participants into two cohorts. In the GP group (N = 46), root canals were filled with gutta-percha and AH Plus sealer, while the MTA group (N = 48) utilized MTA for apical filling and a combination of gutta-percha and sealer coronally. Pain levels were assessed at specific intervals (6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively) using a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS).