Intraoral Cold Test as a Predictor of Postoperative Dental Pain

Objectives: Establishing a framework to identify patients at a heightened risk of experiencing post-operative pain by using an Intra-oral Quantitative sensory testing (IQST) cold test
Methods: 66 dental patients (27 women, 39 men; average age 36) with Class 1 or Class 5 tooth lesions underwent preoperative assessments including a dental anxiety questionnaire (DAS), Patient health questionnaire 4 (PHQ 4), and IQST involving a cold swab applied to the oral mucosa measuring the cold sensation’s duration in seconds, its intensity and severity. Follow-up evaluations at 6, 24, and 48 hour post operation gauged pain levels and medication usage
Results: Throughout the study, a noteworthy trend emerged regarding pain perception between the sexes. Male participants consistently reported higher levels of pain compared to female counterparts at all recall points. This observation suggests a potential sex difference in pain experience following dental procedures. Furthermore, analyzing pain scores for the entire participant group, irrespective of sex revealed a consistent pattern. Pain peaked at the 6 hour mark post-operation, indicating a period of heightened discomfort immediately after the dental procedure. However, there was a discernible decrease in reported pain at the 24 and 48-hour marks, indicating a gradual alleviation of discomfort over time.
Throughout the study, a noteworthy trend emerged regarding pain perception between the sexes. Male participants consistently reported higher levels of pain compared to female counterparts across all three recall points. This observation suggests a potential sex difference in pain experience following dental procedures. Analyzing pain scores for the entire participant group, irrespective of sex revealed a consistent pattern. Pain peaked at the 6 hour mark post operation, indicating a period of heightened discomfort immediately after the dental procedure. However, there was a discernible decrease in reported pain at the 24 and 48 hour marks, indicating a gradual alleviation of discomfort over time
Conclusions: Intra oral cold stimulation reactions hold the potential for predicting postoperative dental pain (PDP) following restorative procedures. Identifying high risk patients enables tailored treatment, such as selective prescription of analgesics, thereby optimizing medication use