Comparison of 2% chlorhexidine and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite irrigating solutions on postoperative pain: A randomized clinical trial.

Aim: To compare the levels of postoperative pain after cleaning and shaping of root canals using two different root canal irrigants for debridement. Materials and Methods: Forty patients with irreversible pulpitis, pulp necrosis and non-vital teeth exhibiting acute apical periodontitis requiring root canal treatment were included. At random, canals were cleaned and shaped with the following protocols. 2% chlorhexidine solution in group I and 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution in group II were used as an irrigants. Access cavities were closed with a sterile cotton pellet and cavit. The patients recorded degree of pain at various time intervals after cleaning and shaping on a visual analogue scale for 1 week. Results: The mean pain score for group I was between 0.65 and 3.35 and for group II was between 0.95 and 4.50. There was significant difference in the pain level between the two groups only at 6 th hour postoperatively (P<0.05) and the pain was more in sodium hypochlorite group. Conclusions: More pain was present in teeth irrigated using 5.25% sodium hypochlorite when compared to that in teeth irrigated using 2% chlorhexidine solution. Significant difference in pain level was present only at 6th hour postoperatively, and at all other periods (24 th hour, 4 th and 7 th days) there was no significant difference in pain level between the two groups.

Infinite to finite: An overview of finite element analysis.

The method of finite elements was developed at perfectly right times; growing computer capacities, growing human skills and industry demands for ever faster and cost effective product development providing unlimited possibilities for the researching community. This paper reviews the basic concept, current status, advances, advantages, limitations and applications of finite element method (FEM) in restorative dentistry and endodontics. Finite element method is able to reveal the otherwise inaccessible stress distribution within the tooth-restoration complex and it has proven to be a useful tool in the thinking process for the understanding of tooth biomechanics and the biomimetic approach in restorative dentistry. Further improvement of the non-linear FEM solutions should be encouraged to widen the range of applications in dental and oral health science.