Evaluating the attitudes of general dental practitioners in Gaziantep about endodontics

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the level of knowledge of dentists working in Gaziantep about the stages of root canal treatment. Questionnaires were reached to 118 general dental practitioners working in Gaziantep. Questionnaire was including questions such as age, gender, year of graduation, root canal medicament, root canal sealer, irrigation solution, use of rotary instrument and apex locator, number of sessions, indication of retreatment. Results were analyzed with chi-square test. A hundred of the dentists accepted to be included in the survey. The most frequently preferential inter-appointment medicament was calcium hydroxide with a ratio of 84 % (p < 0,05). Resin based sealers are the mostly used sealers (p < 0,05) while endomethazone and zinc oxide eugenol based sealers (ZOE) are used less frequently. Composite is preferred by 71 % of respondents for coronal restoration (p < 0,05) while amalgam is the second most used material with the ratio of 41 %. Single visit treatment is carried out especially by 15-20 and 0-5 years graduate to single-double rooted teeth. For working length determination, 64 % of respondents prefer radiographic method, 32 % of them use apex locators while 42 % rely upon tactile sensation. Among the respondents, 41% use only hand files for preparation while % 59 use rotary instruments. Sodium hypochlorite is the most used irrigant while chlorhexidine is used less. General dental practitioners in Gaziantep should obviate the information deficiencies about different steps of endodontics.