CHEWING GUM AND IBUPROFEN COMPARISON FOR ORTHODONTIC PAIN CONTROL

Background: Orthodontic patients have common experience of pain which effect 2-hours after force application and achieved peak level at twenty four hours, then lasts for five to seven days. Objective: The objective of this randomized clinical study was to evaluate the decline in pain score with chewing gum and ibuprofen in orthodontic pain control after the placement of initial arch wire during the first week. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out at Nistar Institute of Dentistry, Multan from 1st May, 2017 to 1st April, 2018. In the present study 250 patients were selected. The age range of selected patients was 12-years to 16-years. There were 133 (53%) male and 117 (47%) were female patients. Selected patients were divided into two groups i.e. chewing gum and ibuprofen groups (each group containing 125) by random number table. In each group patients received pain control twenty four hours after insertion of initial arch wire and after that eight hours interval till seventh day. Patients were requested to finish VAS (Visual Analog Scale) questionnaire, at 24-hours after insertion of arch wire, than at 24-hours and seventh day. For determination of mean significance decrease in visual analog scale, 2-way ANOVA was utilized among two groups. Results: Results demonstrated that lessening in pain score for group of ibuprofen; baseline to twenty four hours was 2.35 ± 1.36 which was lower significantly as compared to pain score decrease in group of chewing gum 3.34 ± 1.34. 4.07 ± 1.43 decrease in pain score showed by the group of ibuprofen at 7th day which was low significantly as compared to 5.86 ± 1.56 decrease in pain score for group of chewing gum. Conclusion: It was concluded that for orthodontic patients, more decrease in pain score showed by the chewing gum as compare to ibuprofen. Key words: Initial Arch Wire, Orthodontic Pain Control, Chewing Gum, Ibuprofen