RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To compare 2 irrigation solutions in terms of postoperative pain after single-visit treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with pulp necrosis. METHODS: A total of 126 patients requiring treatment of apical periodontitis and pulp necrosis were randomly assigned to 2 groups according to the solution used for irrigation: 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) or 2% chlorhexidine gel (CLX) (63 patients in each group). To assess postoperative pain, a questionnaire and pain intensity scale were administered at 24, 48 and 72 hours and 7 days after the procedure. The χ2 test was used to compare the intensity of pain with the 2 irrigation solutions. RESULTS: No patients reported severe pain at any stage. Moderate pain was reported by 3% of patients (2/63 in each group) after 24 hours and by no patients beyond 24 hours, regardless of the irrigant used. Mild pain was more frequent but diminished rapidly (reported by 19% [12/63] of patients in the NaOCl group and 16% [10/63] in the CLX group at 24 hours, by 10% [6/63] in the NaOCl group and 11% [7/63] in the CLX group at 48 hours, by 3% [2/63] in both groups at 72 hours and by 2% [1/63] in both groups at 7 days). There were no statistically significant differences in postoperative pain between the 2 groups at any time point (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postoperative pain after single-visit endodontic treatment of chronic apical periodontitis with pulp necrosis was uniformly low, regardless of the irrigant used.