Comparison of Postoperative Pain after Single Visit versus Multiple Visit Root Canal Treatment in Premolars with Irreversible Pulpitis Using Rotary Instruments

Background: This study was conducted to provide clinicians with evidence regarding whether single visit root canal treatment is better than multiple visits by accessing pain experienced by patients after treatment. There is ongoing debate among dentists and patients on this topic to minimize multiple appointments but there is a lack of consensus. Objective: To compare pain after single versus multiple visits endodontic treatment after 24 hours of follow-up. Methodology: This study was conducted on 66 participants divided into two groups: 33 in a single visit “(Group SV)” and 33 in multiple visits “(Group MV)” for endodontic treatment. Patients within the age range 20-40 years, with irreversible pulpitis in premolars having completely formed foramina were included. Patient’s demographic data like age and gender along with the history of postoperative pain (its severity, episodes, and aggravating factors) were recorded. The Chi-square test was used to compare post-operative pain between two groups. Results: The mean age of the sample was 31.09±6.67 years. There were 51.52% (n=34) females and 48.48% (n=32) males. Overall, a total of seven patients (10.6%) reported postoperative pain. From the SV group, four cases (12.12%) reported with pain; and from the MV group, only three cases (9.09%) reported with pain. The difference was not statistically significant (p>0.99). The difference between single and multiple visits’ endodontic treatment for the episode (p=0.58), duration (p=0.706), severity (p=0.183) and aggravating factors (p=0.693) of postoperative pain were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The history of 24hrs post-operative pain in patients with single or multiple visit RCT in premolars does not vary significantly. Therefore, for premolar teeth, single-visit endodontic treatment can be a viable option to reduce the number of patient visits.