Survey of materials, attitudes and treatment methods preferred in root canal therapy by endodontists in turkey

Aim: The aim of this study was to gather information about the quality and quantity of root canal treatments carried out by endodontists in Turkey. Material and methods: Questionnaires were given to 352 endodontists who attended the congress, symposium and conference organized by the Turkish endodontic association and Turkish dental association. The participants were interviewed face to face and asked to answer 30 multiple-choice questions. The questions were subdivided into 2 main part; The first part requested basic information regarding age, gender, year of experience, location of practice, participation in scientific programs etc. The second part consisted of 24 questions on endodontic practice and root canal treatment. Data were collected and analysed by SPSS (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to test the significance of possible associations (p < .05). Results: Most of the endodontists (88.9%) preferred to do vital pulp therapy. The majority of endodontists used calcium hydroxide for vital pulp therapy. Only 4,3% of the respondents preferred the rubber dam isolation method always. 67.1% treated their patients without any use of magnification system. The majority used apex locater either as the only method for establishing the working length (47.2%) or in conjunction with an radiograph (44.9%). Most of the endodontists (96.3%) preferred to do single visit root canal treatment was preferred mostly in asmptomatic vital cases. Almost 84,4% used a combination of hand files and rotary files to prepare root canals. The most preferred brand of rotary instrument used by endodontists is rotary motion with multiple files (%75). A large number of Endodontists prefer to reuse the rotary NiTi instruments. Our data indicate that >90% of respondents primarily use sodium hypochlorite, with 41.2% of them using it at a concentration 1.6-2.5%. Irrigant delivery by 27 gauge needles was reported by 52.3% of respondents. Calcium hydroxide was the most commonly used medicament (93.2%). Seventy-three percent of respondents aim to remove the smear layer during endodontic treatment. Polymer based root canal sealers were the sealers most frequently chosen (67.6%). Lateral condensation technique and single cone technique were the popular obturation methods. Resin composite was the most frequently used material for coroner restorations of root canal treatment teeth (%66.8). Conclusion: The results indicated that new endodontic technology and materials are being incorporated in clinical practice of endodontics in Turkey. But there need to be an increase in the awareness of the standard guidelines and procedure to be followed during routine treatment, to improve the quality of treatment delivered. So, it is essential to be have knowledge of the current concepts and technique in endodontics through continuing dental education programs, conferences and congress. Key words: Endodontists; root canal treatment; usage; technique; material; survey