Evaluation of Postoperative Pain After Endodontic Retreatment Using Different Working Length Determination Methods: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of two different working length determination methods on the incidence of postoperative pain in single-rooted, single-canal teeth undergoing root canal retreatment (RCR). Sixty-four previously treated, single-rooted, single-canal teeth, which were determined to require RCR based on clinical symptoms and radiographic findings, were randomly and equally divided into two groups and included in the study. Two distinct working mechanisms of an integrated endodontic motor with an apex locator were used in our study. One method involved simultaneous determination of the working length during canal shaping, while the other method determined the working length with a hand file after the canal filling was removed. After the session in which the methods were applied and the working length was determined, participants' pain levels were recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) at 6-12 hours and on days 1-2-3-4-5-6-7.