ArticlePain2016
Frequency, impact, and predictors of persistent pain after root canal treatment: a national dental PBRN study.
Article in Pain, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 85 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cryotherapy as an adjunct in root canal therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Lasers in medical science · 2026Pooled it
- Is Intracanal Cryotherapy Effective in Reducing Postoperative Endodontic Pain? An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Influence of occlusal reduction on pain after endodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2021Pooled it
- Effect of Rotary and Reciprocating Instrumentation Motions on Postoperative Pain Incidence in Non-Surgical Endodontic Treatments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.European endodontic journal · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of the effect of intracanal cryotherapy on postoperative pain after retreatment: a randomized controlled clinical trial.Clinical oral investigations · 2025Trial
- Effect of intracanal cryotherapy on post-operative pain in single-visit endodontic retreatment: a randomized clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- Postobturation Pain of three Novel Calcium Silicate-based sealers with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis or necrotic pulp with chronic apical periodontitis: prospective clinical trial.BMC oral health · 2024Trial
- Effect of sublingual fast-dissolving piroxicam premedication on postoperative pain experience in mandibular molars with non-vital pulp: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.Head & face medicine · 2024Trial
- Clinical and Psychosocial Predisposing Factors Associated With Anaesthesia Failure During Non-Surgical Root Canal Treatment: A National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Study.International endodontic journal · 2026Article
- Collaboration between The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network and the American Association of Endodontists: Impact on the endodontic literature.Journal of the American Dental Association (1939) · 2026Article
- Parental expectations and nocebo by proxy effects in adolescent orthodontic treatment outcomes.Scientific reports · 2026Observational
- Occurrence and predictors of severe pain one week after root canal treatment: the national dental PBRN PREDICT endodontic study.Journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Psychological contributors to pain before, during, and after endodontic procedures: A scoping review.British journal of pain · 2025Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with severe pre-operative pain among patients presenting for non-surgical root canal treatment in the national dental PBRN PREDICT endodontic study.Journal of dentistry · 2025Article
- Protocol for low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to control post-endodontic treatment pain in patients with apical periodontitis: a randomized controlled trial.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Post-operative pain as a risk factor for reduced quality of life after root canal treatment: A prospective clinical study.The Saudi dental journal · 2025Article
- Characteristics of teeth and patients receiving root canal treatment in National Dental PBRN practices: Comparison between Endodontist and general dentist practices.Journal of dentistry · 2025Article
- Review
- Symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and other orofacial pain: overcoming challenges in diagnosis and management.British dental journal · 2025Review
- A Holistic Approach to Postendodontic Pain Management: A Narrative Review.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Root canal treatment (RCT) is commonly performed surgery and persistent pain is known to occur, but little is known about how these patients are affected by this pain. Although biopsychosocial mechanisms are thought to be associated with the development of such pain, similar to persistent pain after surgery in other body sites, little is known about the baseline predictors for persistent pain. We assessed the frequency of persistent pain 6 months after RCT, measured the impact this pain had on patients, and determined predictive factors for persistent tooth pain in a multicenter prospective cohort study conducted within the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Of 708 patients enrolled, 651 (91.9%) provided follow-up data, with 65 (10.0%) meeting criteria for pain 6 months after RCT. On average, these patients reported their pain as mild to moderate in intensity, present for approximately 10 days in the preceding month, and minimally interfered with daily activities. After adjusting for the type of dental practitioner and patient age, gender, and household income, pain duration over the week before RCT significantly increased the risk of developing persistent pain (odds ratio = 1.19 per 1 day increase in pain duration, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.33), whereas optimism about the procedure reduced the risk (odds ratio = 0.39, 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.67). Our data suggest that persistent pain 6 months after RCT is fairly common, but generally does not have a large impact on those experiencing it. Furthermore, patient age and gender did not predict persistent pain, whereas preoperative pain duration and the patient's expectation did.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.