Prognostic Factors Affecting the Outcome of Surgical Root Canal Treatment-A Retrospective Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Cohort Study

J Clin Med. 2024 Mar 15;13(6):1692. doi: 10.3390/jcm13061692.

Abstract

Aim: To assess the association between demographic and clinical variables and the outcome of root-end surgery using digital periapical radiographs (PA) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Methodology: One hundred and fifty teeth that received endodontic microsurgery were clinically and radiographically examined (PA and CBCT scans) after 1 and 2 years. Two calibrated endodontists evaluated the radiographic healing based on a six-point outcome classification. The outcome was classified using both strict (healed) and loose (healing) criteria. The success rates were calculated, and several outcome prognostic factors were assessed. Results: One hundred and fifty teeth were assessed with both radiographic systems. When "loose" success criteria were applied using PA, 90% (n = 135) of teeth were assessed as having had a favourable outcome (90%; 95% CI: 85.2-94.8%), whereas 90.7% (n = 136) of teeth showed a successful outcome when assessed with CBCT (90.7%; 95% CI: 86.0-95.3%). When "strict" success criteria were applied, there was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.018) between the success rates of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) (63.7%) and Biodentine (95.5%). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, endodontic microsurgery showed a high success rate. Among all the demographic and clinical variables assessed, in the multiregression analysis, only the use of Biodentine was associated with a higher proportion of "complete" healings compared to MTA or Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM) when assessed using CBCT. MTA and Biodentine performed similarly when "incomplete" healings were regarded as successful outcomes.

Keywords: Biodentine; apical periodontitis; apicoectomy; cone-beam computed tomography; endodontics; mineral trioxide aggregate; prognosis; treatment outcomes.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.