Comparison of postoperative pain after foraminal enlargement of necrotic teeth using continuous rotary system and reciprocating instrument: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This single-blind, randomized clinical trial (RCT) aimed to compare the duration, intensity, and incidence of postoperative pain after foraminal enlargement (FE) with continuous rotary systems and reciprocating instruments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty qualified patients were randomly divided into the following two groups: the ProTaper Next group and the WaveOne group. Participants were selected from patients who had both asymptomatic necrosis and asymptomatic apical periodontitis with a single root canal. Endodontic treatment was performed in one visit, and the patients were asked to record their pain severity and analgesic consumption during a 7-day follow-up period using a visual analog scale (VAS). The data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and Chi-square test (P < 0.05). RESULTS: A significant difference was observed between the two groups during the first two days of follow-up (P < 0.05). Pain experience was higher in FEs that had been created by reciprocating instruments than by continuous rotary systems. There were no significant differences in VAS pain scores over the other days (P > 0.05). None of the patients had severe postoperative pain during the follow-up period. No significant differences were observed in the prevalence of analgesic consumption between either group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This RCT indicates that in the 2-day follow-up period after endodontic treatment, FEs created by reciprocated instruments associated more postoperative pain than continuous rotary systems.