ABSTRACT
Pain management in endodontics is of paramount importance for the clinicians. The objective of the present study was to compare pain reduction after instrumentation, in teeth with occlusal reduction and without occlusal reduction. This randomized control trial study was conducted at Outpatient Department of Operative Dentistry at Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University [SZABMU], PIMS, Islamabad from February 2015 to January 2016. A total of 250 patients with irreversible pulpitis and normal periapical radiographic appearance of posterior teeth were included in the present study. After administration of local anesthesia, the root canals were instrumented, and an intracanal calcium hydroxide dressing was placed. The patients were randomly allocated into 2 equal groups by random allocation software. Group 1 included 125 patients whose occlusal surface was reduced while group 2 included 125patients with no occlusal reduction to be done .The patients were recalled after 24 hours, 2nd day and 3rd day to record their postoperative pain on the visual analogue scale[VAS]. The final outcome that is mean post instrumentation pain score was measured by using t-test at 6th day of post instrumentation. Results were statistically significant and showed that occlusal reduction plays an important role in reducing post-instrumentation pain in patients undergoing endodontic treatment of posterior teeth