Exploring dentists' perspectives on endodontic treatment for patients with systemic health conditions: A questionnaire-based study.

Introduction: This study explores dentists' practices and approaches in the Indian subpopulation for endodontic management of patients with systemic conditions. It also evaluates dentists' knowledge and awareness regarding the impact of systemic conditions on endodontic treatment outcomes.

Materials and methods: We mailed the Google Forms containing pre-validated questionnaires to 600 participants, which included endodontists (n = 200), general dentists (n = 200), and other specialty dentists (n = 200) in the Indian subpopulation. A total of 458 participants responded; among them, the response rate was 33.5% from the endodontist, 38% from the General Dentist, and 28.5% from other specialty dentists. We analysed the data using Chi-square analysis and logistic regression, with a significance level of 0.05.

Results: The study analysed the responses from 458 dental professionals, including 153 endodontists (33.5%), 174 general dentists (38%), and 131 specialists (28.5%). The key findings revealed that most participants (96.8%) agreed that systemic conditions influence endodontic therapy, with 94.9% identifying the risk of postoperative infection as a primary concern for immune-compromised patients. While 54.4% supported antibiotic prophylaxis for systemic conditions, 45.6% disagreed. Endodontists exhibited excellent knowledge of antibiotic prophylaxis requirements (98.1%) compared to general dentists (71.1%) and other specialists (95.0%) (P = 0.001).

Conclusion: The study's findings have significant implications for dental practice, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the impact of systemic conditions on endodontic therapy. Variations in knowledge and confidence, particularly in areas such as antibiotic prophylaxis and managing systemic conditions, highlight the importance of ongoing education and awareness.