Effect of pretreatment dexamethasone on postendodontic pain

Objective. This study evaluates the use of a preoperative single oral dose of dexamethasone for the prevention and control of postendodontic pain. Study design. Forty-seven patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups: placebo and dexamethasone (4 mg). The medications were administered 1 hour before the start of endodontic treatment. Postoperative pain was assessed after 4, 12, 24, and 48 hours. Results. Dexamethasone resulted in a statistically significant reduction in postendodontic pain at 4 and 12 hours (P < .05). However, no statistical difference (P > .05) was observed at 24 and 48 hours (Mann-Whitney test). The placebo group exhibited higher rescue medication intake (P < .05; Student t test). No side effects were reported for any of the medications used. Conclusion. Preoperative single oral dose of dexamethasone substantially reduced postendodontic pain. Further studies are needed to evaluate the applicability of these findings to other clinical conditions and drug regimens. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2009;108:790-795)