Comparison of post-operative pain between rotary and reciprocating file systems in root canal therapy: An in vivo study.

Post-operative pain following root canal therapy remains a common clinical concern and is frequently associated with apical extrusion of debris, microorganisms and irrigating solutions during canal instrumentation. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate post-operative pain following instrumentation with Hand ProTaper (control), ProTaper Next (rotary), and Neo-Endo (reciprocating) systems in 45 patients undergoing endodontic treatment. Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. The reciprocating system (Neo-Endo) demonstrated lower post-operative pain scores compared to the rotary and hand instrumentation groups. Thus, we show that reciprocating instrumentation may be more effective in minimizing post-operative discomfort following root canal therapy.