This lecture analyses the prospective cohort study by Haug, Røegh and Fristad (BMC Oral Health, 2024) on the profile of endodontic emergency patients and their treatment outcomes.
In short: the good prognosis of root canal treatment in teeth with acute symptoms justifies attempting it rather than choosing extraction.
What the study found
- No single diagnostic cause explains why patients request an emergency visit, hence the need for a thorough diagnosis.
- Over-the-counter painkillers do little for dental pain, which often leads to desperate self-medication.
- 60% of the teeth treated as emergencies had previous restorations: conservative treatment does not seem to fully protect against future pulp disease.
Dr. Cortés Torres's comments
Terminology matters. Researchers and clinicians do not always speak the same language, and using "emergency", "urgency" and "priority care" precisely avoids confusion and misunderstanding.
In pain right now? See dental emergencies.