Assessment of postoperative pain after single-visit root canal treatment using rotary and reciprocating file systems: an in vivo study

BACKGROUND: Various instrument kinematics used in single-visit endodontics influence the occurrence of pain after endodontic therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of pain after mechanical instrumentation with Hyflex EDM (HEDM) and WaveOne Gold (WOG) during single-visit endodontic therapy. METHODS: Sixty patients diagnosed with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis and normal apical tissues in mandibular premolar teeth were included in the study for single-visit root canal therapy. The patients were divided into two groups (n = 30) according to the rotary instrument used during root canal preparation (group A [HEDM] and group B [WOG]). Pain was evaluated after endodontic therapy at 8, 24, and 48 h intervals using the visual analog scale (VAS). Data obtained were analyzed using the chi-square test, independent t-test, MannWhitney U test, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs test. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups (P < 0.001) at 8, 24, and 48 h, with WOG exhibiting less pain than HEDM files. CONCLUSION: Postoperative pain was lower in the WOG file system than in the HEDM file system after single-visit root canal therapy at 8, 24, and 48 h.