Effect of Apical Patency on Postoperative Pain after Single-visit Endodontic Treatment in Necrotic Teeth with Asymptomatic Apical Periodontitis: A Randomised Control Trial.

To find out the effect of apical patency on postoperative pain after single-visit endodontic treatment in necrotic teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Single blind randomised clinical trial. Department of Operative Dentistry, Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from June to December 2020. A total of 240 patients with good general health presenting with asymptomatic apical periodontitis in their mandibular first molar teeth were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups with the help of scientific number table. Endodontic therapy was initiated and root canals were prepared with ProTaper Next system. In the Patency group, a size 10 K-file was used as patency file and carried 01mm beyond working length between successive files. In the non-patency group, the file was carried till the working length. Obturation was done with cold lateral condensation using Pro Taper Next GP points, and permanent restoration was done with composite. The patients were informed to record pain scores after 24 and 48 hours and bring the VAS after one week. The data was analysed using SPSS version 22. There were 137 (57.08%) female and 103 (42.92%) male patients; 78 (65%) of patients in Patency group and 67 (55.83%) in Non-patency group, had no pain after 24 hours (p=0.345). In Patency group, 101 (84.17%) patients had no pain after 48 hours as compared to 98 (81.67%) patients of Non-patency group (p = 0.649). So apical patency reduced pain, but not in statistically significant proportion. Maintaining apical patency in necrosed teeth with asymptomatic apical periodontitis does not significantly reduce postoperative pain after single visit endodontic treatment. Key Words: Apical patency, Postoperative pain, Asymptomatic apical periodontitis.