ABSTRACT
Background Pain after root canal therapy is unwanted yet common experience for the patient and unpleasant for the dentist so it is always desirable to predict such pain. Objective To evaluate the frequency, intensity and associated factors of post-operative pain after single visit endodontic therapy on teeth with vital pulps. Method A total of 418 single visit root canal treatments were performed on patients of age 18 years and above by two endodontists. Canals were shaped with rotary ProTaper files. After the canal preparation, the canals were obturated, using lateral compaction technique, with ProTaper universal gutta-percha and AH-Plus sealer. Independent factors were recorded during the treatment and characteristics of postoperative pain were later surveyed through questionnaires. The severity of pain was recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0-5. The data were analyzed using logistic regression models. Result The prevalence of post-operative pain within first six hours after treatment was high (79.2%) which decreased to 22% at the end of 72 hours however majority (70%) of the patients had mild to moderate pain (VAS 1-2). The factors that significantly influenced post-obturation pain experience were: gender (OR=0.55, 95%CI=0.32- 0.93; p=0.03), tooth type (OR-0.67; 95% CI=10.56-0.81, p=0.00), history of preoperative pain (OR=1.26; 95% CI= 1.04-1.51; p=0.02) and number of canals (OR=2.03; 95% CI=1.40-2.95; p=0.00). Conclusion The prevalence of some level of post -operative pain after single visit root canal therapy was high and was significantly influenced by female gender, increased number of canals, posterior tooth type and positive history of pre-operative pain.
