RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The objective of the present study was to clinically compare the incidence of postoperative pain and the intake of analgesic medication (frequency and quantity) after endodontic treatment of posterior teeth using 2 reciprocating systems and a continuous rotary system. METHODS: In a prospective randomized clinical study, 210 patients with vital teeth indicated for conventional endodontic treatment were treated by 5 specialists according to a pre-established protocol. The teeth were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups (n = 70) according to the instrumentation system used: ProTaper Next (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties, Johnson City, TN), WaveOne (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties), or Reciproc (VDW, Munich, Germany). Treatments were performed in a single visit. After the visit, the patients were given a prescription for ibuprofen 400 mg to be taken every 6 hours if they experienced pain. Participants were asked to rate the intensity of the postoperative pain on a visual analog scale according to 4 classes (no pain, mild pain, moderate pain, and severe pain) after 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days. Patients were also asked to record the number of prescribed analgesic medication tablets taken at these time points. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found among the 3 groups in relation to postoperative pain or analgesic medication intake at the 4 time points assessed (P > .05, Kruskal-Wallis test). CONCLUSIONS: The reciprocating systems and the continuous rotary system were found to be equivalent in regard to the incidence of postoperative pain and intake of analgesic medication at the time points assessed.