Prevalence of endodontic flare-up following intracanal medicament placement in permanent teeth undergoing endodontic treatment – A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Endodontic flare-up can occur in teeth undergoing root canal treatment. Intracanal medicaments are most commonly used in between appointments to eliminate microbial flora in the canal. However, extrusion of medicaments in the periapical region can cause an inflammatory reaction leading to postoperative pain. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of endodontic flare-up following intracanal medicament placement in permanent teeth undergoing endodontic treatment. STUDY DESIGN: A comprehensive search was done in MEDLINE through PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar from July 31, 1999 to July 31, 2019 to identify randomized trials involving the use of intracanal medicaments in teeth undergoing root canal treatment. METHODS: The titles and abstracts of all retrieved articles were screened by two independent reviewers, and irrelevant studies were excluded. Full texts of the eligible studies were obtained and thoroughly assessed. Seventeen randomized control trials comprising 2665 subjects were included. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Narrative synthesis was provided for the findings obtained from the studies, mainly focusing on the intervention details. Heterogeneity of the previously mentioned characteristics was assessed using the Chi-square test and I(2) statistics. RESULTS: Placement of intracanal medicament was not associated with the occurrence of pain. CONCLUSION: The present review suggests that intracanal medicament do not cause endodontic flare-up rather reduces inter-appointment pain during endodontic treatment.