Compared to oral delivery, transdermal Diclofenac patches are a preferred choice in patients with post-endodontic pain due to their safety, effectiveness, and several advantages in delivering drugs to the systemic circulation including enhanced bioavailability.

To establish the effectiveness of pre-treatment with Diclofenac in managing post-endodontic pain while comparing two modes of delivery i.e. oral, and transdermal patch.

This randomized controlled trial comprised 180 patients aged 18 to 65 years with irreversible pulpitis. The patients were divided into 3 groups:

GROUP A (Control group): Patients were administered only an over-the-counter pain reliever (Acetaminophen) as a rescue medication.

GROUP B (Oral Diclofenac group): Patients received Diclofenac tablets orally immediately prior to undergoing root canal treatment.

GROUP C (Transdermal Diclofenac patch group): Patients received a transdermal patch of Diclofenac shortly before undergoing root canal treatment.

Using visual analog scale (VAS), the pain was examined.

In each of the three groups, the frequency of pain was evaluated at intervals of the first 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after the surgery. With statistically significant p values, the transdermal Diclofenac patch appears to be a promising analgesic therapy to relieve endodontic pain.

Preoperative analgesics are crucial in minimizing post-endodontic pain, and the use of transdermal patches containing Diclofenac proved to have promising results for the same.