Objectives: To survey the clinical endodontic protocols of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in public dental clinics and to assess the effect of an educational intervention on the adoption of a nickel-titanium (Ni-Ti) rotary system.
Methods: General dental practitioners in a Swedish Intervention County (IC), underwent an educational programme in endodontics. A follow-up questionnaire was posted to 98 GDPs in the IC and to 97 GDPs in a Control County (CC), where no specific training had been provided. The questionnaire concerned demographics, clinical endodontic protocols and instrumentation techniques.
Results: The response rate to the questionnaire was 87%. More than 90% of all GDPs reported they always or generally used rubber dam, determined working length, used the canal irrigant 0.5% buffered NaOCl and calcium hydroxide as an interappointment dressing. Two of three GDPs reported, they generally or always informed the patient of the prognosis. Every second GDP reported routines for postoperative recall and follow-up. The Ni-Ti rotary technique was reported to be completely adopted by 77% of the GDPs in the IC, significantly higher than in the CC (6%), P < 0.001. In the IC 79% of the GDPs reported they completed instrumentation in one treatment session, compared with only 32% in the CC, P < 0.001. The 'single-cone' mode of canal filling was reported to be significantly more frequent amongst GDPs in the IC, P < 0.001.
Conclusions: General dental practitioners in both counties reported using contemporary clinical endodontic protocols. GDPs who had undergone an educational programme in Ni-Ti rotary instrumentation reported they had successfully integrated the technique into daily clinical practice.