Dulce O Almeida et al 330 ABSTRACT Introduction: Endodontic therapy is a specialized procedure more demanded by patients within public oral health care in the country. Then, single-visit endodontic therapy may offer advantages to the health care services, to the professionals, and to the patients by reducing access barriers. Materials and methods: A meta-analysis was done and the variables evaluated were periapical repair, microbiological control, and postobturation pain in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) involving endodontic treatment of nonvital teeth at single- or multiple visits. Results: About 17 RCTs were included. There were no differ- ences found in periapical repair or microbiological control in single- and multiple-visit therapy. Single-visit endodontic therapy resulted in 21% less postobturation pain (relative risks = 0.79; 95%, confdence interval: 0.66-0.94). Conclusion: There was less postobturation pain in the single-visit endodontic therapy group. In the public dental care, this analysis favors the adoption of this one therapy because it will be possible to increase the patient access and the supply of this therapy. Clinical signifcance: It is possible to get a better cost-effec- tiveness for the patients and the health care service. This is very important because the reduction of the cost to the patient allows it to become a complete treatment. The health service, in turn, is able to be better used, with a greater supply of this service. Keywords: Endodontics, Meta-analysis, Nonvital tooth, Public health, Root canal obturation. Outcome of Single- vs Multiple-visit Endodontic Therapy of Nonvital Teeth: A Meta-analysis 1 Dulce O Almeida, 2 Sônia CL Chaves, 3 Ronaldo A Souza, 4 Felipe F Soares 1,4 Department of Community Health, Federal University of Bahia Bahia, Brazil 2 Department of Social Dentistry and Pediatric, Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil 3 Department of Endodontics, Bahia School of Medicine and Public Health, Bahia, Brazil Corresponding Author: Dulce O Almeida, Department of Community Health, Federal University of Bahia, Bahia, Brazil Phone: +0055991345112, e-mail: dulcealmeida@yahoo.com.br; dulcealmeida@yahoo.com.br How to cite this article: Almeida DO, Chaves SCL, Souza RA, Soares FF. Outcome of Single- vs Multiple-visit Endodontic Therapy of Nonvital Teeth: A Meta-analysis. J Contemp Dent Pract 2017;18(4):330-336. Source of support: Nil Confict of interest: None INTRODUCTION Clinical research in public oral health care in Brazil has grown due to increased funding and the implementation of specialist dental clinics. 1 Recent studies have shown that endodontic therapy is the specialized procedure more demanded by patients within public oral health care in the country. 2 Compared with the other special- ties, endodontic therapy involves a heavier outpatient workload, with waiting time for treatment around 30 days in approximately 60% of the specialist dental centers. In some cases, waiting time may exceed 1 year. Inability to comply with goals, low rates of use of specialist dental services, absences in consultations, and the different techniques used by each professional – some endodontists preferring to complete treatment at a single visit, while others prefer fractioned visits 3 – may reflect management problems within the service. 4 It is more common performing endodontic treatment in two or more consultations. 5 The treatment at a single visit has generated considerable controversy in the scientific field. 5-7 In public oral health care, single-visit endodontic therapy may offer certain advantages to the health care services, to the professionals, and to the patients. The access barriers to public health care may be reduced by decreasing the cost of treatment to the patient by minimizing transportation costs and absen- teeism at work. The costs to the health care service are reduced because the treatment can be offered to a greater number of patients. 2,3 In addition, single-visit therapy META ANALYSIS 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-2041 JCDP