Postoperative pain after 1- and 2-visit root canal therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The factors that influence postoperative pain after root canal treatment are not completely understood. The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate postoperative pain after root canal therapy performed in 1 appointment versus 2 appointments.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients requiring root canal therapy on permanent molars were included in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to either the 1-appointment or the 2-appointment group. Both vital and nonvital teeth were included. The standardized protocol for all teeth involved local anesthesia, isolation and access, engine-driven rotary nickel-titanium canal instrumentation to a minimum size #5 (.028 mm).04 taper Profile with step-back flaring, and irrigation with 2.5% NaOCl. Teeth in group 1 (n = 39) were obturated at the first appointment by using laterally condensed gutta-percha and Roth 811 sealer. Teeth in group 2 (n = 33) were closed with a sterile dry cotton pellet and Cavit restoration and were obturated at a second appointment 7 to 14 days later. A modified Visual Analogue Scale was used to measure preoperative pain and pain at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the first appointment. Statistical analysis was performed to compare groups at each interval by using an independent-samples t test with Bonferroni adjustment.


RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference between groups at preoperative intervals or at any of the 4 postoperative intervals (P <.01).


CONCLUSIONS
There was no difference in postoperative pain between patients treated in 1 appointment and patients treated in 2 appointments. The majority of patients in both groups reported no pain or only minimal pain within 24 to 48 hours of treatment.
DiRenzo
Anthony
A
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill 60612, USA. bjohnson@uic.edu
Gresla
Tim
T
Johnson
Bradford R
BR
Rogers
Martin
M
Tucker
Dennis
D
BeGole
Ellen A
EA
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002133:Calcium Sulfate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003722:Dental Alloys; D003738:Dental Cements; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008963:Molar; D009532:Nickel; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012389:Root Canal Obturation; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012399:Rotation; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014025:Titanium; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital / Q000628:therapy; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000627:therapeutic use
D003722:Dental Alloys; D003738:Dental Cements; D004202:Disinfectants; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011145:Polyvinyls; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C040654:titanium nickelide; C020872:Cavit; C095719:Roth's 811 sealer; D009532:Nickel; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D014025:Titanium; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D015034:Zinc Oxide; D002133:Calcium Sulfate