Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37395765›Full record

Trial reportJournal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie2025

Acupressure versus NSAID for relief of orthodontic pain : A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Moataz Elshehaby, Marwa Ali Tawfik, Mona A Montasser

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Ibuprofen for acute postoperative pain in children.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024
    Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Impact of using chewing gum on orthodontic pain relief after separators and initial archwires placement : Prospective randomized clinical trial.Journal of orofacial orthopedics = Fortschritte der Kieferorthopadie : Organ/official journal Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Kieferorthopadie · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Moataz ElshehabyDepartment of Orthodontic, Faculty of Oral and Dental Medicine Dentistry, Delta University for Science and Technology, Gamasa, Egypt. Motaz.elshehaby@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6410-7876
Marwa Ali TawfikDepartment of Orthodontic, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
Mona A MontasserDepartment of Orthodontic, Faculty of Dentistry, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo compare ibuprofen and acupressure for pain relief after insertion of elastomeric orthodontic separators. MATERIALS AND

methodsA randomized control clinical trial was conducted in an orthodontic clinic. A total of 75 orthodontic patients aged 12-16 years participating in the study were randomly allocated to receive either 400 mg of oral ibuprofen, applying acupressure therapy, or no pain-relief approach. Pain scores were recorded on visual analog scales (10 cm) over a week at different times (4, 10, 18, 24 h, and 1 week). The margin of equivalence was defined as 10 mm.

resultsFor all timepoints, the control group recorded the highest pain. For the ibuprofen and acupressure group, after 4 h, 18 h, and 1 week, no significant difference was noted. However, after 10 h, no significant difference in pain between the control and acupressure groups was noted and the ibuprofen group showed significantly lower pain. In the acupressure group, the highest pain was noted at 10 h. After this timepoint, pain progressively decreased with time and the lowest pain was noted after 1 week. In the control and ibuprofen groups, the highest pain was after 4 h, and then progressively decreased with time and the lowest pain was noted after 1 week.

conclusionsThere was no significant difference in pain perception between participants using ibuprofen or acupressure and both groups recorded significantly lower pain than the control group at most of the observed timepoints. Results support the analgesic effect of the acupressure approach.

Indexed as

AcupressureAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalIbuprofenOrthodontic AppliancesPain ManagementAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMalePain MeasurementTreatment OutcomeAnti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-SteroidalIbuprofenAnalgesicsNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agentsOrthodontic appliancesRandomized controlled trialTooth separator

Identifiers

PMID37395765
PMCPMC11753302

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.