The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of calcium hydroxide as an intracanal medicament in the clinical and radiographic healing of periapical tissues in teeth diagnosed with symptomatic apical periodontitis. This evaluation will be conducted after multiple visit endodontic treatment. The follow-up sessions will be programmed from 6 to 24 months postoperatively. Postoperative pain will also be considered as a secondary outcome. Participants will be asked to rate their pain level on a numerical scale from 0 to10 before and after each session of endodontic treatment. Additionally, the use of analgesics after the procedure will be measured and the incidence of flare-ups will be evaluated. Two study groups will be formed to undergo multiple-visit endodontic treatment. The intervention group will receive intracanal medication of calcium hydroxide, while the control group will have the root canal left empty between appointments.
The first visit will include the following clinical steps . After administering local anesthesia with 4% articaine hydrochloride and epinephrine injection (with 1:200,000 adrenaline) or 2% mepivacaine for an inferior alveolar block, all decayed tissue from the tooth will be removed. The tooth will be isolated with a rubber dam, the tooth crown will be disinfected with 2% NaOCl, and an access cavity preparation will be created. The #10 C-Pilot file will be used to create a glide path. The working length will be established with an apex locator and an x-ray. The root canal will be instrumented using the sequence of NiTi rotary files Edge Endo X7. The canals will be irrigated copiously with 10ml of 2% NaOCl each time. Following instrumentation, a final rinse with 10ml of 2% NaOCl, 10ml of 17% EDTA, and 10ml of saline solution will be performed. Group 1 will receive intracanal dressing with Ca (OH)2 paste using Lentulo for a period of 7-10 days. Group 2 will be left without intracanal dressing for a period of 7-10 days. In both groups, teeth will be restored with glass ionomer cement (GIC) as a temporary restoration. The final visit will include the following clinical steps. After examining the tooth and surrounding tissues, local anesthesia will be administered as previously described. The temporary restorative material will be removed, and the tooth will be isolated with a rubber dam before accessing the root canal. In Group 1, the intracanal dressing will be removed through irrigation, and then obturated using a standardized, matched size and taper gutta-percha cone with AH-plus sealer with the single-cone obturation technique. The tooth will be then temporarily restored with glass ionomer cement (GIC), and the participant will be referred for final restoration within 7-14 days. The same protocol is followed for Group 2.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
110
Ca(OH2 will be used as intracanal medicament for the disinfection of the root canal between appointmnents
School of Dentitry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece
RECRUITINGClinical evidence of success
Criteria of clinical success include the absence of pain and tenderness to palpation and percussion and the absence of sinus or any associated soft tissue swelling. Failure is indicated by the presence of at least one of the abovementioned signs or symptoms.
Time frame: 6-24 months post-operatively
Radiographic evidence of success
Radiographic evidence of periapical healing will be evaluated by the improvement of Periapical Index score (PAI). The PAI system provides an ordinal scale of 5 scores ranging from 1 (healthy) to 5 ( severe periodontitis with exacerbating features). In detail PAI score 1 indicates normal periapical anatomy. PAI score 2 indicates mild changes in bone pattern. PAI score 3 is indicative by changes in bone pattern with diffuse loss of mineral. PAI score 4 is indicative of apical periodontitis with definite radiolucency in the periapical area. PAI score 5 indicates severe periodontitis with exacerbating features. Improvement of PAI score will be evaluated as success. Consequently a lower PAI score is indicative of success but a higher or stable PAI score is indicative of failure.
Time frame: 6-24 months post-operatively
Flare-up incidence
Patients will contact the primary investigator in case of pain or swelling that may appear after each appointment.
Time frame: 0 to 3 days after every single appointment
Postoperative pain assesment
Description: Participants will be advised to follow analgesic medication of Ibuprofen (600mg) or Paracetamol (1000mg) treatment or combined medication only in case of feeling pain. Participants will be asked to rate the level of pain on a numerical rating scale from 0 to10 before the start and after 1, 2 and 3 days of each session. According to this scale 0 is indicative of "no pain" and 10 is indicative of "the worst pain ever felt". All intermediate scales are proportional to the pain of the patient. For example, 1 to 3 is indicative of mild pain, 4 to 6 moderate pain and 7 to 9 severe pain. Participants will also be given a paper form in which they must fill in the type and quantity of receiving analgesic medication for each of the first 3 days after each session of endodontic therapy. Besides the numerical pain scale the number of analgesic tablets will be also recorded.
Time frame: 0 to 3 days after every single appointment
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