Four years of clinical experience with the efficacy of Pulpotec® as a root canal dressing for the management and control of odontogenic pain: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

AIM The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to discover clinically the influence of Pulpotec® (Produits Dentaires S.A., Switzerland) on the incidence of inter-appointment flare-up, with a view to advance the resolution of pain and/or swelling in patients presenting for emergency root canal treatment. METHOD In a prospective randomized clinical trial, pulpotec paste was used as an intracanal medicament in multi-appointment root canal treatment in 860 teeth (510 symptomatic and 350 asymptomatic) belonging to 860 patients from February 2008 to March 2012. The follow-up visit was scheduled, and the incidence and severity of inter-appointment pain was recorded at different time periods (8, 24, and 48 h, 3 days, and 1 week after the treatment) on simple descriptive pain intensity scale. Patients who experienced intense pain and/or swelling (flare-up) after the first treatment visit were given an emergency appointment during which pulpotec was used as an intracanal dressing. RESULTS The incidence of intense pain was 10 (1.16%) and 6 (0.69%) of the treatment cases at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Moderate pain was described only by 137 patients within the 24 h-3 days time interval after treatment. At 7 days, all patients experienced no pain or only weak pain levels. CONCLUSION Pulpotec intracanal dressing is beneficial in rapid resolution of pain and/or swelling in emergency root canal treatment and in controlling postoperative pain in multi-appointment root canal treatment.