Intensity of pain due to separators in adolescent orthodontic patients

To investigate the intensity of pain adolescent orthodontic patients experience following the insertion of separators.

Elastomeric separators were placed mesially and distally to the first molars in 62 adolescents (20 male, 42 female, age 12-15 years), and the participants were given self-administrated questionnaires to document perceived pain, pain upon chewing, and the severity of pain's affecting daily life, using a visual analog scale for seven days.

The mean perceived pain scores out of 100 on the first 3 days were 54.6 ± 32.7, 51.7 ± 29.9, and 32.3 ± 28.4, respectively; chewing pain scores were: 61.9 ± 35.3, 52.6 ± 30.4, and 39.5 ± 32.1, respectively; the pain's affecting daily life scores were 24.9 ± 35.5, 21.1 ± 30.9, and 11.9 ± 23.7, respectively. A Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant difference in the reported pain between the three studied parameters. A Mann-Whitney U-test showed an insignificant difference between male and female adolescents.

Pain perception varies among adolescent patients, but it decreases significantly after the first 2 days, with no gender differences.