efficacy of oral mucoadhesive n-acetylcysteine tablets in treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Objectives: this study aimed to assess the efficacy of oral mucoadhesive n-acetylcysteine (nac) tablets for treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (ras).materials and methods: forty-nine patients with ras were randomized to receive mucoadhesive nac tablets (n=25) or placebo (n=24). tablets were prescribed three times a day for 7 days in each group. pain intensity was evaluated with visual analog scale (vas) three times a day from day 1 to day 7. also, patients were clinically examined on days 0 (before entering the study), 3, 5, and 7 using a metal caliper to measure the diameter of the lesions. the data were statistically analyzed and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.results: regarding the vas score, all participants in the treatment group showed complete recovery on day 7 (p<0.01). also, the diameter of the lesions was significantly smaller in the treatment group than the placebo group at the end of the study (p<0.001).conclusion: the results of this clinical trial showed for the first time that mucoadhesive nac tablets can significantly decrease pain and the diameter of ras lesions without any systemic complications.