Can acupuncture be a viable method for pain control after lower third molar removal? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Introduction: Surgery to remove lower third molars is usually associated with events such as pain, swelling and trismus, thus increasing postoperative morbidity. The control of these signs and symptoms is essential for a quick recovery of the patient.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine whether acupuncture is effective in controlling pain in lower third molar surgeries.

Methods: A systematic review was carried out by two independent researchers and the selection of studies took place according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria previously established. The main outcome measure was the analysis of pain in the postoperative period. Data analysis included risk of bias assessment (RoB 2 Cochrane) and meta-analysis with heterogeneity based on random effects I² and 95% confidence.

Results: In the initial results, 717 articles were found, and 6 studies were selected for analysis in this review. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was a significant reduction in pain scores after 2 h (p < 0.001), 18 h (p = 0.008), 24 h (p < 0.001), 48 h (< 0.001) and 72 h (p < 0.001) in favor of the acupuncture group.

Conclusions: According to the results of this study, acupuncture has shown an effective result in reducing pain, however due to the heterogeneity of studies and the low level of evidence, it is not possible to determine whether acupuncture is a viable method for pain control after lower third molar surgery. New standardized and controlled studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of this therapy.