Incidence of Postoperative Flare-Up After Single-Visit and Multi-visit Endodontic Therapy

This article presents results obtained from a survey, including patients who underwent endodontic treatment by the single-visit or multi-visit method, after confirmation of the diagnosis of chronic apical periodontitis.

The aim of the survey was to obtain data from the studied patients on the frequency and the type of postoperative pain after treatment of chronic apical periodontitis, as well as whether there is a relation between gender, age, and postoperative pain.

A visual analog scale was used to study the intensity of postoperative pain in the treatment of teeth diagnosed with CPP, which are treated by one of two methods - single-visit or multi-visit method. The total number of surveyed patients is 71. The patients were examined and treated at the Dental Clinic "Imperial" in Varna, Bulgaria, in 2020. Thirty-one of them were treated by the single-visit method, and the remaining 40 by the multi-visit method with placement of a temporary dressing or sterile swab.

A relatively large proportion (70%) of patients reported mild pain immediately after the root canal filling. A relatively large proportion (90.3%) of patients did not report pain one week after the root canal filling. The more frequent symptoms were observed in cases treated by the multi-visit method, after the application of a temporary dressing. Patients who reported taking analgesics were treated in the multi-visit method. More frequent pain symptoms with both methods of treatment were observed in men aged 36-60 years.

Although exacerbation has been shown to have no significant effect on the outcome of endodontic treatment, it is highly undesirable. In the short term, the postoperative pain in patients treated by the multi-visit method through the use of intracanal medication is more pronounced. Patients receiving the single-visit treatment reported less postoperative pain.