To investigate the effects of two advanced oral drugs on the alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis.

From February 2016 to June 2018, 34 patients with irreducible pulpitis who received treatment at the Department of Stomatology of Suqian Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University or the Department of Stomatology of Siyang Dazhong Hospital were collected as research subjects. The patients were randomly divided into either an ibuprofen group (n=16) or a prednisone group (n=18). The two groups of patients were given oral ibuprofen and prednisone 60 min before one-time root canal treatment, respectively. The conditions of alveolar nerve block were recorded. The gender, diet, molar position, and nerve block were compared between the two groups by chi-square test. The t-test was used to compare age and pain and anxiety scores between the two groups.

There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, initial pain score, diet within 6 h, molar position, and Corah anxiety score (P>0.05).The success rate of lower alveolar nerve block using lidocaine was similar between the two groups (62.5% vs 61.1%, χ²=0.409, P=0.523). For unsuccessful anesthesia, the success rates of supplemental anesthesia with articaine were 33.3% and 57.1%, respectively, in the ibuprofen group and prednisone group, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.045).The pain score at the postoperative 24 h follow-up was significantly higher in the ibuprofen group than in the prednisone group [(4.01±1.45) vs (2.83±1.07), t=7.078, P=0.008].

Oral prednisone before root canal treatment is simple and easy to accept, which can enhance the effect of lower alveolar nerve anesthesia, result in longer postoperative pain relief, and reduce the patient's pain sensitivity, so it is worthy of further promotion and application in clinical practice.