Effect of Preoperative Video-Guided Breathing on Pain in Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

NCT07859267 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 08.05.2026/166
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 90
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial is to evaluate whether a brief preoperative video-guided breathing exercise reduces postoperative pain in adults undergoing single-visit root canal treatment for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does a 2-minute video-guided breathing exercise reduce postoperative pain 24 hours after root canal treatment compared with a 2-minute period of passive rest?
• Does the breathing exercise affect pain experienced during root canal treatment or postoperative pain at 6, 12, 48, and 72 hours?
• Does the breathing exercise reduce the need for supplemental local anesthesia during treatment?
• Does the breathing exercise reduce analgesic use during the first 72 hours after treatment?
• Does the breathing exercise produce a greater immediate change in heart rate compared with passive rest? Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups before root canal treatment. In the video-guided breathing exercise group, participants will watch a standardized 2-minute video and follow a controlled breathing pattern consisting of inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds followed by exhaling for 6 seconds. This breathing cycle will be repeated throughout the video. In the passive rest group, participants will remain seated in the dental chair for 2 minutes without receiving any breathing or relaxation instructions and will be asked to breathe normally. All participants will then receive single-visit root canal treatment using the same standardized endodontic treatment protocol. Postoperative pain will be assessed at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after treatment. Pain at 24 hours will be the primary outcome. Maximum pain experienced during treatment, supplemental anesthesia requirement, analgesic use during the first 72 hours, and change in heart rate immediately before and after the assigned preoperative intervention will also be evaluated.

Conditions

Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis; Postoperative Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postoperative Pain at 24 Hours

  Postoperative pain intensity will be assessed 24 hours after single-visit root canal treatment using a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS), with 0 representing "no pain" and 10 representing "the worst imaginable pain."

  24 hours after root canal treatment

Study Arms (2)

Video-Guided Breathing Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will perform a standardized 2-minute video-guided breathing exercise before root canal treatment. They will be instructed to inhale through the nose for 4 seconds and then exhale for 6 seconds, repeating this breathing cycle throughout the video.

Behavioral: Video-Guided Breathing Exercise

Passive Rest

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will remain seated in the dental chair for 2 minutes before root canal treatment without receiving any breathing or relaxation instructions. They will be asked to continue breathing naturally during this period.

Interventions

Video-Guided Breathing Exercise BEHAVIORAL

Participants assigned to the intervention group will perform a standardized 2-minute video-guided breathing exercise immediately before root canal treatment. During the exercise, participants will be instructed to inhale through the nose for 4 seconds and then exhale for 6 seconds. This breathing cycle will be repeated throughout the 2-minute video. The same video will be used for all participants to standardize the instructions and duration of the intervention.

Video-Guided Breathing Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 18 and 65 years
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II
• Presence of preoperative pain in the tooth to be treated
• Diagnosis of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis
• Positive response to thermal and electric pulp sensitivity tests
• No periapical radiolucent lesion on periapical radiography
• Indication for primary root canal treatment
• Root canal treatment planned to be completed in a single visit
• Only one tooth included per participant

You may not qualify if:

• Previous root canal treatment in the tooth to be treated
• Presence of acute apical abscess
• Presence of a periapical radiolucent lesion
• Pulp necrosis
• Use of analgesic medication within 24 hours before treatment
• ASA physical status III or higher
• Pregnancy or lactation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cukurova University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Cukurova University

Adana, Sarıçam, 01250, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Verma MR, Rao RD, Langade D, Jain AK, Guha A, Mohan M. Assessment of yogic relaxation techniques for its anxiolytic effects in patients requiring endodontic treatment: A prospective, randomized controlled study. J Conserv Dent. 2021 Mar-Apr;24(2):209-213. doi: 10.4103/jcd.jcd_97_21. Epub 2021 Oct 9.

  PMID: 34759592 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: CARE PROVIDER, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 29, 2026
• First Posted: October 5, 2026
• Study Start: May 9, 2026
• Primary Completion: September 10, 2026
• Study Completion: September 25, 2026
• Last Updated: October 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)