ObjectiveTo systematically review the healing rate of single-versus multiple-visit root canal treatment for teeth with infected root canals. MethodsPubMed, EMbase, EBSCO, MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2015), CNKI, VIP, CBM and WanFang Data databases were searched from inception to March 2015, to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning single-versus multiple-visit root canal treatment for teeth with infected root canals. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.5 software. ResultsA total of 9 RCTs involving 1 146 teeth were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that:the healing rates were 88.98% in the single-visit group, and 85.61% in the multiple-visit group, respectively. There were no significant difference between two groups (OR=1.36, 95%CI 0.95 to 1.96, P=0.09). ConclusionCurrent evidence shows that, the healing rate of single- and multiple-visit root canal treatment is similar for infected root canals. Due to the limited quantity of included studies, more high quality studies are needed to validate the above conclusion.