FLARE-UP RATE IN PULPALLY NECROTIC MOLARS IN ONE VISIT VERSUS 2-VISITENDODONTIC TREATMENT

This retrospective study compared one-visit versus two-visit endodonti c treatment, The same technique and materials were used before and aft er making the sore change to one-visit endodontic treatment in 1991, T reatment records of 402 consecutive patients with pulpally necrotic fi rst and second molars were compared. In 201 patients, treatment was pr ovided by debridement and instrumentation, followed by obturation at a second visit; whereas the second group received single visit therapy, Flare-ups were defined as either patient reports of pain not controll ed with over-the-counter medication or as increasing swelling, Sixteen flare-ups (8%) occurred in the two-visit group versus six flare-ups ( 3%) for the one-visit group, This showed an advantage for one-visit tr eatment at a 95% confidence level, In a second comparison, one-visit p atients who had previously received two-visit treatment for a differen t pulpally necrotic molar served as their own control, No significant differences were present in this subgroup of 17 patients.