Original Article
Year : 2020 | Volume : 5 | Issue : 2 | Page : 26 - 30
An Endodontic Practice Profile among General Practitioners in Chennai: A Questionnaire Survey
S. Thasleema Banu, R. Ganesh1
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Asan Memorial Dental College and Hospital, Chengalpet, 1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Priyadarshini Dental College and Hospital, Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
Introduction:
The practice of dentistry shows a vast difference owing to the place of practice, that is, between private practice and institutional one as well as between the general practitioner and the specialists. Endodontic treatment itself offers a wide gamut of options to a clinician in the way a simple root canal can be carried out. Use of rubber dam, irrigants, prescription of antibiotics, choice in single- and multiple-visit treatment, and interappointment dressings are the aspects of one most commonly carried out procedure, that is, root canal treatment in dentistry.
Materials and Methods:
This study was a questionnaire-based survey of samples of dentists in Chennai. The self-administered questionnaire contained 15 close-ended questions with multiple-choice options. The data collected included demographic details of respondents, root canal preparation techniques, irrigants and intracanal medicaments used, the number of appointments, method of working length determination, root filling techniques, cements used, and the scope of treatment performed.
Results:
The usage of rubber dam is very low among general practitioners. Most of the dentists follow radiographs with instruments in the canal as the best option for working length determination. Out of three root canal instrumentation techniques such as crown down, push and pull, and step back, the third one (56%) is the most followed technique. Hero shaper (51%) is the choice of Ni‐Ti rotary instrument used by the dentists of Chennai followed by Mtwo. Stainless steel hand files (69%) are mostly used to prepare canals followed by nickel–titanium hand files (21%) and rotary nickel–titanium files (10%). Lateral compaction (91%) is the commonly used obturation technique. Autoclave sterilization (20%) is mostly followed by the dentists followed by glass bead and chemical sterilization (12%). The most commonly used sealer is ZOE sealer (72%).
Conclusion:
During the past decade, many innovative concepts, techniques, and instruments have been introduced in practice, and standard of care for endodontics can be improved by increasing general dental practitioner interest. This study concludes that standard guidelines and new technologies are to be implemented by the practitioners in Chennai.
Keywords: Apex locator, endodontic practice, general practitioners, medicaments, root canal
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
How to cite this article: Banu ST, Ganesh R. An endodontic practice profile among general practitioners in Chennai- A questionnaire survey. Int J Soc Rehab 2020;5:26-30.
