title: Incidence of postoperative pain after use of calcium hydroxide mixed with normal saline or 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate as intracanal medicament in the treatment of apical periodontitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the incidence of postoperative pain after the use of calcium hydroxide powder mixed with normal saline or 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate as intracanal medicament.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five subjects aged 17-60 years with teeth diagnosed to have apical periodontitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-visit conventional root canal treatment of seventy teeth. The teeth were divided by randomization (balloting) into two groups: control group and experimental group, each with thirty-five teeth treated with calcium hydroxide mixed with normal saline or with 0.2% chlorhexidine digluconate as intracanal medicament respectively. Incidence of postoperative pain was assessed using the universal pain assessment tool and whether or not analgesic was taken.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of post-operative pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative pain occurred only at 1-day and 1-week reviews. In the control group, the overall incidence of pain was the same at both review periods (5.7%), while the experimental group showed a slight decrease in incidence between 1-day (17.2%) and 1-week (11.4%) reviews. Incidence of flare-ups was more in the experimental group (11.4%) than in the control group (5.7%). No significant statistical differences between the two groups were observed (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of postoperative pain was lower in the normal saline treatment group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ifeoma Nkiruka
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Menakaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olabisi Hajarat
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Oderinu
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ilemobade Cyril
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Adegbulugbe
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos/Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olufemi Peter
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Shaba
keywords: Apical periodontitis; Calcium hydroxide; Chlorhexidine; Normal saline; Postoperative pain; Root canal treatment