(PO01) Evaluation of the Pain-Reducing Effect After Pulpectomy by High-Frequency Conduction: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract: A brief complication of pulpectomy is postoperative pain. We have clarified that high-frequency conduction (HFC) can transpire the pulp tissue in the vicinity of the electrode and in the apical constriction and ramification due to heat generation. In this study, we conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of HFC during pulpectomy in reducing postoperative pain. There were 558 teeth in the HFC group and 461 in the control group without HFC, for a total of 1019 teeth. HFC was applied in the root canal using a high-frequency treatment device at 510 kHz, an applied voltage of 225, and 1~3 times in 1.0-second applications. Postoperative symptoms and devitalization of the pulp tissue were investigated. The incidence of postoperative symptoms was 1.8% and 9.3% in the HFC and control groups, respectively. The pain incidence during root canal preparation was 2.5% and 13.7%. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the postoperative symptoms after the pulpectomy. HFC (odds ratio [OR] 0.32, 95% CI 0.12-0.85; p=.022), tooth type (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.02-2.32; p=.042), and preoperative symptoms (OR 4.07, 95% CI 1.85-8.90; p<.001) were significant factors affecting postoperative symptoms. Regarding devitalization of the pulp tissue, the OR, 95% CI, and p-value of HFC were 0.10, 0.05-0.21; p<.001, and 0.26, 0.13-0.52; p<.001 for the clinical institute, and 0.36, 0.18-0.73; p=.005 for negotiation, showing a significant difference. These results demonstrated that HFC reduces postoperative symptoms after pulpectomy and efficiently devitalizes the pulp tissue.