Title Single-Visit And Multiple-Visit Endodontic Therapy Do Not Differ In Effectiveness When Evaluated By Pain Or Radiography
Clinical Question In patients with apical peridodontitis, is single-visit endodontic therapy better than multiple-visit endodontic therapy when evaluated by pain or radiography?
Clinical Bottom Line Single-visit and multiple-visit endodontic therapy do not differ in effectiveness when evaluated by pain or radiography. (See Comments on the CAT below)
Best Evidence  
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
17943848Figni/2007Meta-Analysis
Key resultsThere was no significant difference between single- and multiple- visit treatment in the frequency of postoperative pain nor in the frequency of success as measured radiographically.
Evidence Search "Root Canal Therapy"[Mesh] AND single Limits: Meta-Analysis
"Root Canal Therapy"[Mesh] AND single Limits: Systematic Review
"Root Canal Therapy"[Mesh] AND single Limits: Randomized Controlled Trial
Comments on
The Evidence
The reviewers reported explicit criteria for searching and selecting/rejecting studies. This review included randomized and quasi-randomized trials comparing single- to multiple- visit endodontic therapy. 12 trials were included for review, including six studies (1047 patients)evaluating pain and five studies (647 patients) evaluating radiographic outcome. Four studies had low risk of bias; four studies had moderate risk of bias, and four studies had high risk of bias.
Applicability The review included patients over 10 years old undergoing root canal therapy; all included teeth had fully formed apices and no internal resorption. Cases of surgical endodontic treatment were excluded from the review. All studies except one were performed in university clinics; most treatments were performed by endodontists, but some were performed by postgraduate students or general practitioners.
Specialty (Endodontics) (General Dentistry)
Keywords Endodontic therapy, root canal, single visit, multiple visits
ID# 828
Date of submission 03/22/2011
E-mail althumairy@gmail.com
Author Riyadh Althumairy
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor S. Thomas Deahl, II, DMD, PhD
Faculty mentor e-mail DEAHL@uthscsa.edu
   
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?)
None available
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Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs)
by S. Tom Deahl (San Antonio, TX) on 07/10/2012
Thank you for your comment. Yes, the Figini article in J Endod that you cite is a write-up of the same systematic review as the one described in our CAT. This is a nice example of how Cochrane reviews may be published both in the Cochrane database, according to their format, and then re-published in a journal in a somewhat different format but with essentially the same content. So this is an exception to the expectation that the same data will not be published twice.
by Obadah Austah (San Antonio, TX) on 07/09/2012
I conducted a PubMed search on the topic July 2012 and I found An updated Cochrane systematic review published by Figini L, J Endod 2008 (PMID: 18718362) and it has the same conclusion of the CAT, with patients undergoing a single visit might experience slightly more frequency of facial swelling and analgesic use.