POST OPERATIVE PAIN COMPARISON IN SINGLE VERSUS TWO VISIT ENDODONTIC TREATMENT.

Postoperative pain is one of the major complication after initiation of root canal treatment (RCT). It has multiple causes including patient anxiety, preoperative pain, individual pain threshold, residual pulp tissue, mechanical and chemical irritation of the periapical tissues. The purpose of this study was to compare the post operative pain following root canal treatment in single versus two visits. The study was conducted at department of operative dentistry, Sharif Medical and Dental College, Lahore from April 2013 to June 2014. Hundred patients recommended for endodontic treatment were sampled by convenience. Patients between the ages of 18-50 years and teeth with vital and necrotic pulps were included. Patients with chronic pulpal disease were excluded. Patients were divided in to equal groups of fifty patients each. Group 1 underwent treatment in one visit while in group 2 treatment was completed in two visits. Patients were asked to record their pain on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) from 0-9 at 6, 12, 24,and 48 hours interval after treatment on a VAS pain proforma. SPSS version 19 was used for analysis. Independent samples t-test was applied to study post operative-pain in patients undergoing root canal treatment in one visit versus patients undergoing root canal treatment in two visits. It was observed that the patients undergoing two visit endodontic treatment experienced more pain as compared to the ones receiving single visit treatment and it was significant at 12 and 24 hours post operatively. It is concluded that single visit endodontic treatment evokes less pain as compared to 2 visit treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]