Patient-Centered Outcome Assessment of Static and Dynamic Navigation-Aided Endodontic Microsurgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) and analgesic use one week after surgery, as well as the surgical duration, associated with static navigation (SN) and dynamic navigation (DN)-aided endodontic microsurgery (EMS).

Methods: Sixty patients were randomly assigned to the SN group (n=30) or the DN group (n=30). Both groups underwent EMS based on a pre-surgical plan. The primary outcomes were patient-reported QoL and analgesic use during the first week, while the secondary outcome was the duration of guided procedures, including osteotomy and root-end resection. QoL was assessed using a visual analog scale-based questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated symptoms (pain, swelling, bleeding) and functional impact (mouth opening, chewing, talking, sleeping, daily routine), with average scores for each component calculated daily. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare QoL scores and surgery duration between groups, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05.

Results: Participants in the SN group had significantly shorter surgery duration compared to DN group. Postoperative adverse reactions within the first week after SN- and DN-aided EMS were short-lived, peaking early in the postoperative period and gradually subsiding. No significant differences were observed in QoL or analgesic use between the SN and DN groups.

Conclusion: Both SN and DN enable minimally invasive EMS with equivalent patient-centered outcomes, though SN demonstrates a significant advantage in reducing the duration of guided osteotomy and root-end resection. These findings provide a valuable patient-centered reference metrics for the selection between the two guided approaches in clinical practice.