Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Controlled clinical trials. There were 11 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 non-randomised controlled trials.
Specific interventions included in the review
Acupuncture. The types of acupuncture were: manual acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, needle acupuncture (manual plus electrical stimulation), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at acupuncture point, traditional acupuncture, pre-operative acupuncture and post-operative acupuncture.
Participants included in the review
The participants were experiencing the following dental pain: pain during root canal procedures; pain after or during tooth extraction; pain during teeth restoration; pain during drilling into dentine; pain during oral surgery, i.e. extraction of impacted third molar; and pain after oral surgery. In five studies, the participants encountered experimental dental pain. The patients were aged from 16 to 64 years.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The outcomes assessed in the review were variable and included the following: change in pain threshold; pain during operation; pain after painful dental stimuli; pain intensity during the 3 hours post-operation; pain rated on a 5-point scale by the patient and dentist; intra-operative pain assessed by a visual analogue scale; use of conventional analgesia; pain intensity; time until moderate pain; and time until onset of pain.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
All studies were evaluated independently by both authors, and any discrepancies were resolved through discussion.