Bulletin of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery
ISSN 1829-006X
2025; 223–233
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AURICULAR ACUPRESSURE AS AN ADJUNCT FOR POST-EXTRACTION PAIN MANAGEMENT: A CLINICAL INTERVENTIONAL STUDY

Anupa Gottipati*, Shreya Kishore, Balavenkata Chaturvedula, Chandoorya C, Satish Vasanth, Gnanam, Lubna Fathima

Graduate in public health, Epidemiology, U.S.A, Former dental resident, India. · 2Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, SRM Dental College, Bharathi Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India · Assistant Professor, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research · Assistant Professor, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Priyadarshini Dental College and Hospital Thiruvallur 631203 · Lecturer, Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery, Faculty of dentistry, AIMST University, Malaysia. · Lecturer, Unit of Prosthodontics, Faculty of dentistry, AIMST University, Malaysia · Senior Lecturer, Department of Public Health Dentistry, SRM Dental College, Bharathi Salai, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India

Received: 2026-04-08 · Published: 2025-07-20

© 2025 The Author(s) and the original publisher.

CC BY-NC 4.0 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Original title
AURICULAR ACUPRESSURE AS AN ADJUNCT FOR POST-EXTRACTION PAIN MANAGEMENT: A CLINICAL INTERVENTIONAL STUDY
Authors
Anupa Gottipati, Shreya Kishore, Balavenkata Chaturvedula, Chandoorya C, Satish Vasanth, Gnanam, Lubna Fathima
Source journal
Bulletin of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery
Published
2025-07-20
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International
Original
https://doi.org/10.58240/1829006X-2025.21.6-222

Abstract

Background:Post-extraction dental pain is a common issue that affects patient recovery and comfort. Conventional pharmacological interventions, while effective, are often accompanied by undesirable side effects. As a result, there is increasing interest in non-pharmacological approaches such as auricular acupressure, a traditional Chinese medicine technique, which involves stimulating specific points on the ear to alleviate pain. Objectives:To assess the effectiveness of auricular acupressure in managing postoperative pain following dental extraction compared to a placebo intervention. Methods:This hospital-based interventional study was conducted in the dental outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Ninety participants aged 18–60 years undergoing simple tooth extraction were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=45) receiving auricular acupressure at the Shenmen point or a control group (n=45) receiving pressure at non-therapeutic ear points. Pain was measured using the Verbal Descriptor Scale (VDS) at three time points: pre-operatively, post-operatively, and during a 3-day follow-up. Data were analyzed using non-parametric statistical methods, including the Kruskal-Wallis and Bonferroni-adjusted Mann-Whitney U tests. Results:There was no significant difference in baseline pain levels between the two groups (p=0.117). However, postoperative and follow-up VDS scores were significantly lower in the auricular acupressure group compared to the control group (p<0.001 for both). The intervention group demonstrated consistently reduced pain intensity over time, indicating the effectiveness of auricular acupressure in managing postoperative dental pain. Conclusion:Auricular acupressure is an effective, safe, and non-invasive complementary technique for reducing pain following dental extractions. Its incorporation into postoperative care protocols may enhance patient comfort while minimizing reliance on pharmacologic analgesics.
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