Toothache relief showdown: calcium hydroxide vs tobradex
NCT ID NCT07332936
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two medications placed inside the tooth after an emergency root canal to see which one reduces pain better. 43 adults with severe tooth pain (pulpitis) received either calcium hydroxide or Tobradex (an antibiotic-steroid combo). Pain levels were measured before treatment and at 24 and 48 hours after. The goal was to find a faster way to ease post-procedure pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Calcium hydroxide or tobramycin-dexamethasone (Tobradex) placed inside the tooth after cleaning
- What this could lead to
- If Tobradex works better, dentists may have a new option to reduce pain quickly after emergency root canals.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, completed trial with only 43 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Pain relief differences may be small.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
43 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jul 2023
- Finished
-
Jun 2024
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years or older * Patients presenting with acute dental pain diagnosed as symptomatic irreversible pulpitis * Teeth requiring emergency root canal treatment * Ability to understand and provide informed consent * Willingness to report pain levels during the follow-up period Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of acute or chronic apical abscess requiring systemic antibiotic therapy * Teeth with previous root canal treatment * Patients with systemic conditions that may affect healing or pain perception (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, immunocompromised status) * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to calcium hydroxide, tobramycin, dexamethasone, or related compounds * Pregnant or lactating women
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Postoperative endodontic pain following emergency root canal treatment are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Faculty of Dental Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Steroid rinse inside the tooth: a new way to curb root canal pain?
- Which root canal file leaves less pain? trial puts two systems to the test
- Chilling the root: could cryotherapy cool Post-Dental pain?
- Can a gentler root canal tool ease post-treatment pain?
- Could a simple injection make root canals less painful?
- Could a simple steroid shot make root canals less painful?