Effect of Two Different Concentrations of Sodium Hypochlorite on Post-Operative Pain Following Single-Visit Root Canal Treatment

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of two different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (2.5% and 5.25%) on post-operative pain following single-visit root canal treatment. A total of 116 participants requiring primary endodontic treatment will be randomly allocated into two groups according to irrigant concentration. Post-operative pain will be assessed using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after treatment. The study seeks to determine the concentration that provides optimal disinfection with minimal patient discomfort.

This study will be conducted in the Department of Operative Dentistry, Saidu College of Dentistry, Swat. Sodium hypochlorite is widely regarded as the gold standard irrigant in endodontics because of its tissue dissolution and antimicrobial properties. However, its concentration-dependent cytotoxicity may influence post-operative pain after treatment. A randomized controlled trial design will be used with two parallel groups receiving either 2.5% or 5.25% sodium hypochlorite during standardized single-visit root canal treatment. A total of 116 participants aged 18-60 years requiring primary root canal therapy will be recruited using consecutive sampling. All procedures including anesthesia, access preparation, working length determination, instrumentation, irrigation protocol, and obturation will be standardized. Post-operative pain will be recorded using a 100-mm Visual Analog Scale at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours post-treatment. Data analysis will be performed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Repeated measures analysis will compare pain scores between groups across different time intervals. Statistical significance will be considered at p \< 0.05.