Assessment of postoperative pain following single versus multiple-visit root canal treatment: A randomised clinical trial

Monika Bhardwaj; Bhavana Koushik; Sneha Khekade; Prashanth Shetty; Sazid Hussain; Niharika Gahlod

doi:10.6026/973206300221326

Assessment of postoperative pain following single versus multiple-visit root canal treatment: A randomised clinical trial

Bioinformation. 2026 Mar 31;22(3):1326-1331. doi: 10.6026/973206300221326. eCollection 2026.

Authors

Monika Bhardwaj¹, Bhavana Koushik¹, Sneha Khekade¹, Prashanth Shetty², Sazid Hussain³, Niharika Gahlod⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dentistry, American International Institute of Medical Sciences, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
² Department of Conservative and Endodontics, Srinivas Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
³ Department of Dental, Sudha Medical College & Hospital, Jagpura, Kota, Rajasthan, India.
⁴ Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.

Abstract

Postoperative pain following root canal procedures remains a significant clinical challenge, with on-going controversy regarding optimal single- versus multiple-visit treatment regimens for mandibular molars with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. This study compared postoperative pain, flare-ups and analgesic consumption between single-visit (n=60) and multiple-visit (n=60) root canal therapies using standardized rotary instrumentation and warm vertical obturation in 120 matched patients. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) measurements revealed similar pain trends across both groups, peaking at 6-12 hours postoperatively with no significant differences in pain scores at any interval. Both approaches showed comparable rates of flare-ups, swelling and analgesic intake, demonstrating equivalent safety profiles and clinical outcomes. These findings advance endodontic practice by validating single-visit root canal therapy as a time-efficient alternative that maintains comparable postoperative pain control and complication rates to multiple-visit protocols.

Keywords: Postoperative pain; irreversible pulpitis; multiple-visit treatment; randomised clinical trial; root canal treatment; single-visit endodontics.