Effectiveness of tenoxicam and ibuprofen for pain prevention following endodontic therapy in comparison to placebo: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Tenoxicam is an effective analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for symptomatic treatment of various conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinically the effectiveness of prophylactic tenoxicam and prophylactic ibuprofen in reducing post-endodontic pain compared with placebo. A total of 48 patients consented to a double-blind, single dose, prophylactic oral administration of 20 mg of tenoxicam, 200 mg of ibuprofen, or a placebo before root canal treatment. The root canal treatment was performed in one visit. The patients registered their degree of discomfort on a 100-mm visual analog scale, immediately postoperative, and 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after initiation of root canal treatment. The two-way ANOVA test and Tukey HSD post hoc test showed that in the 6-h period, both 20 mg of tenoxicam and 200 mg of ibuprofen provided significantly better pain relief than the placebo. Prophylactic administration of a single dose of 20 mg tenoxicam or 200 mg ibuprofen before RCT provides an effective reduction at 6 h (P < 0.05). Because of the advantages of tenoxicam, it may be useful as a prophylactic analgesic when post-endodontic pain is anticipated.