Abstract
Objective: The aim of the study was to assessment of technical quality of 9562 endodontic cases treated by heterogeneous groups with different clinical experience. Material and methods: This retrospective study reviewed the dental records of 8590 patients (9562 endodontic cases and 13203 root canals including 3340 retreatment root canals) treated by fourth-year undergraduates, fifth-year undergraduates, endodontic program students, and endodontic specialists between December 2017 and December 2018 at the Department of Endodontics of Necmettin Erbakan University Faculty of Dentistry in Konya. The length, density, and taper of root fillings, the acceptable technical quality of the root filling criteria, and the presence of procedural errors, were recorded. Chi-square tests with a significance level at p=0.05 were used for statistical analysis. Results: Acceptable root fillings were found in 71.5% of endodontic cases. Clinical experience showed statistical differences in the root filling quality among fourth-year undergraduates, fifth-year undergraduates, endodontic program students, and specialists (52, 63.1, 77.9 and 86.5% respectively). Fractured instruments and missed canals were noted in 9.8% and 0.57% of cases treated by endodontic program students significantly more than the other clinical experiences. No statistical differences were found among the clinical experiences in other procedural errors. No statistically significant differences were found between age range and gender in additional root canals. Statistically significant differences were observed between the number of root canal retreatments in terms of age range and gender. Conclusions: Clinical experience affects the technical quality of root canal treatments. Fractured instruments and missed canals, especially by endodontic program students, should be given more attention. KEYWORDS Dental radiography; Education; Undergraduate.
Highlights
The main purposes of root canal treatment are disinfection, preparation, and hermetic obturation of the root canal system [1,2]
No differences were found between maxillary and mandibular teeth for the fifth-year undergraduates and endodontic program students (p = 0.327 and p = 0.109, respectively)
This study reviewed the root canal fillings of patients who were treated by operators with different clinical experiences, including fourth-/ fifth-year undergraduate students, endodontic program students, and endodontic specialists
Summary
The main purposes of root canal treatment are disinfection, preparation, and hermetic obturation of the root canal system [1,2]. The possibility of an apical periodontal pathology is correlated with the quality of root fillings [3,4]. According to the European Society of Endodontology, adequate endodontic treatment includes exposure to preoperative radiographs, a defined working length, and radiographical control of the root canal filling [6]. The apical position of the root canal sealer material to the radiographic apex affects the success rate [4,7]. It has been reported that root canal fillings ending more than 2 mm to the radiographic apex and overfilling reduced the success rate [6]. Gaps and voids in root canal fillings, in the apical segments, are directly proportional to the prognosis of treatment [7,8]
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