Aim: To investigate whether pretreatment assessment of experimental pain can predict the level of pain after archwire placement. Methods: One hundred and twenty-one general university students seeking orthodontic treatment were enrolled in this study. A cold pressor test was performed to estimate the pain tolerance of subjects before treatment. Self-reported pain intensity was calculated using a 10 cm visual analog scale during the 7?days after treatment. The relationship between pain tolerance and orthodontic pain was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation analysis. Results: The maximum mean level of pain intensity occurred at 24?hours after bonding (53.31±16.13) and fell to normal levels at day 7. Spearman’s correlation analysis found a moderate positive association between preoperative pain tolerance and self-reported pain after archwire placement ( P 0.05). Conclusion: A simple and noninvasive preoperative sensory test (the cold pressor test) was useful in predicting the risk of developing unbearable pain in patients after archwire placement. Self-reported pain after archwire placement decreased as individual pain tolerance increased.
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