Linas Vaitkus, Miglė Mackevičiūtė, Eduardas Kelbauskas
Abstract
Aim.To acquire statistical data concerning the materials, methods, and approaches used by general dentists in Lithuania, when treating teeth endodontically, while comparing said data with set treatment standards of undergraduate education to determine if practitioners’ years of experience had influence on aforementioned factors. Materials and Methods. In total, 350 surveys were dispersed among four major Lithuanian cities (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Utena) to bring forth data. These questionnaires included questions concerning the participant’s gender, experience in dentistry in years, materials and methods used, etc. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 22.0 (Statistical Package for Social Science 22 for Windows) Results. From the total, 134 (38.3%) surveys were returned for analysis. Only those surveys were analyzed which were fully filled and were from general dentists, who were performing endodontic treatment to their patients (109 or 31.1%). Respondents who did not qualify to the set forth criteria were automatically removed from further analysis. 77.6% of younger dentists (10 years or less in the field) preferred to use a rubber dam as an isolation material while only 30.6% of older generation specialists (more than 10 years in the field) performed endodontic treatment with it. Step back technique was more popular to use for younger generation dentists while NiTi rotary system and Crown down (hand files) technique for the more experienced clinicians. Almost all respondents used K-files in root canal treatment, while the most popular time to take dental X-rays was detrmined to be before treatment and after root canal filling. Cold lateral condensation technique for root canal filling was the most popular choice, while the sealer type most often used was zinc oxide eugenol. Most commonly used root canal irrigation was sodium hypochlorite. Conclusions. From the statistics brought forth from this study, it is apparent that younger generation of dentists follow the endodontic treatment regulations somewhat closer than the older generation, but not in all aspects of treatment.
Keyword(s): general dentist; survey; endodontic treatment; root canal treatment; endodontic treatment requirements.
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2017.048
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