Flare-ups incidence and severity after using calcium hydroxide as intracanal dressing

Acute pain and swelling following endodontic treatment are a challenge for both the patient and the dentist. According to previous studies, the incidence of flare-ups increases after endodontic treatment of teeth with necrotic pulps. Calcium hydroxide is currently used as a multi-purpose drug in root canal therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of flare-ups after treatment of pulpless teeth using calcium hydroxide as an intracanal dressing. Sixty patients with single-root necrotic teeth participated in this study. These patients were randomly divided into three groups of 20. The patients were treated in Group A in a single-visit approach, in group B with a two-visit approach without any intracanal dressing and group C with a two-visit approach using calcium hydroxide as an intracanal dressing for one week. All of the patients were followed for 72 hours after each treatment session. The information about the incidence and severity of pain and swelling was recorded in tables, using a modified Visual Analogue Scale for pain severity measurement and a scale with four degrees for measuring the severity of swelling. The data were analyzed by chi-square test and GENMODE procedure.