Title: Trial suggests no difference between single-visit and two-visit root canal treatment
Abstract: Randomised controlled trial. Patients over the age of 16 with radiographic evidence of apical periodontitis and a diagnosis of pulpal necrosis confirmed by negative response to hot and cold tests were randomised to receive either a one or two visit root canal treatment (RoCT). Clinical and radiographic evaluation was undertaken at two years by masked examiners. Two hundred and eighty-seven patients (300 teeth) were randomised. One hundred and fifty-five teeth were allocated to the single visit group and 145 to two-visit treatment. Eighteen teeth were lost to follow up, nine from each group. At two years there were no significant differences between the groups, with 96.57% (141 of 146 teeth) in the single-visit group being classified as healed compared with 88.97% (121 of 136 teeth) in the two-visit group. This study provided evidence that a meticulously instrumented single-visit root canal treatment can be as successful as a two-visit treatment. There was no significant difference in radiographic evidence of periapical healing between single-visit and two-visit root canal treatment.