Analysis of endodontic radiographic imaging repeat rate: A cross-sectional study in an undergraduate clinical setting

Abstract

Introduction: Inexperienced undergraduate dental students tend to take unnecessary radiographs during endodontic treatment, which has an adverse effect on clinical workflow. The aim of this study was to quantify the repeat rate of endodontic periapical radiographs taken by senior dental students during endodontic treatment stages and to analyze the prevalence of radiographic errors that led to repeated radiographs. In addition, the average number of visits required to complete the treatment was determined. Materials and Methods: A total of 583 cases that included 5689 periapical radiographs were collected from the records of a completed academic year. The periapical images were divided according to tooth type and the stages of the treatment procedure. The prevalence of error types, number of visits, and repeated images exceeding the number of radiographs allowed for completion of the treatment were evaluated. The collected data were statistically analyzed. Results: The overall repeat rates of anterior, premolars, and molars were 36%, 36%, and 39%, respectively (P = 0.66). The highest repeat rates were recorded during instrumentation (44%-55%), followed by obturation (36%–46%). The most common error types were working length adjustment (27%–33%), missing apex (24%–28%), and obturation adjustment (19%–24%). The mean number of visits was higher than recommended for all tooth types. Conclusions: The repeated rates of radiographs and number of visits were higher than recommended. A set of recommendations were formulated to optimize quality assurance and deliver a better-quality health service to the patients.