This paper is not a study, but rather a clinical evaluation of three endodontic techniques based solely on subjective postoperative symptoms reported by patients. From 1968 to 1972 (four years), the author treated 452 teeth with a traditional endodontic technique. During 1973-1981 (eight years), he treated 625 additional teeth by instrumenting the root canals in the same manner as in the traditional method, but without the employment of
sodium hypochlorite. In this procedure, the canals were obturated with a
paraformaldehyde-
steroid-
zinc oxide and
eugenol paste (PSZOE). A third "hybrid" endodontic technique was used in treating 522 other teeth during 1982-1991 (nine years). During the latter period, the teeth were instrumented in the same manner as in the first two modes of
therapy,
sodium hypochlorite was not used, and the root canals were filled with
gutta percha cones covered with the PSZOE
paste. Based on subjective reports of postoperative swelling and
pain, there was
a 10% incidence of swelling and a 20% incidence of
pain in cases treated by the traditional technique and their root canals filled with
gutta percha cones coated with
Tubliseal by Kerr Dental Manufacturing Company of Detroit. Based on these same criteria, there was only a 1.6% prevalence of swelling and a 1.9% prevalence of
pain when the root canals of 625 teeth were completely filled with a PSZOE
paste. When the root canals of 522 other
endodontically treated teeth were filled with
gutta percha cones coated with PSZOE, postoperative swelling was reported in 1.5% of the cases and
postoperative pain in 3.2% of the treated teeth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)