Objectives: In patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis, this randomized clinical trial evaluated the impact of intraoral cryotherapy treatment on the level of inflammatory mediators.
Materials and methods: Two groups, one for cryotherapy and the other for control (n = 10), were randomly assigned to twenty patients with symptomatic apical periodontitis. In the cryotherapy group, when biomechanical preparation was finished, 30 minutes of intraoral cryotherapy application (a cold pack of ice gel covered in a sealed plastic cover) were done. Samples of apical fluid were taken with paper points that extended 2 mm past the apex. In the control group after mechanical preparation and after 30 minutes, and in the cryotherapy group after mechanical preparation and after cold application. The ELISA test was used to measure the levels of substance P. The data were examined using an independent t-test.
Results: The cryotherapy group's change in substance P level was greater than that of the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P ≥ 0.05).
Conclusions: The substance P level was changed by intraoral cryotherapy greater than control, though not significantly. More research with a larger sample size is necessary to obtain results that are statistically significant.