Knowledge and awareness of Root Canal Treatment therapy in the Eastern Indian population: A cross-sectional study

Objetive: To evaluate the awareness of root canal treatment therapy in the rural population of Eastern India. Introduction: The most common reason for which a patient visits any dental setup is tooth pain. Most people in the rural population are not aware of root canal treatment therapy nor of medications that are used for tooth pain management in case of emergency. Lack of adequate knowledge of root canal therapy leads to tooth pain and swelling which lead to worsening issues. This is further complicated by self-management at home by taking clove and essential oils. Hence this study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of the rural population of Eastern India regarding root canal therapy and medications used during tooth pain and the course of root canal treatment. Material and Methods: A pre-structured, closed-ended questionnaire was applied to patients visiting the Department of Dentistry, Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, Balasore, Odisha (India). The questionnaire consisted of twenty multiple-choice questions. The questions were framed to understand the level of awareness of the sample population. The data was collected and analyzed for descriptive statistics such as mean and percentages. Results: 72% had firsthand experience of tooth pain at some point in time. Around 34% of the responders who had been treated in the past replied that they did not have any knowledge and awareness about root canal treatment, whereas the remaining 66% reported they had treatment done from a dentist before and were advised over the counter analgesics like paracetamol and ibuprofen. The majority of the patients were unaware of root canal treatment and antibiotics used during the treatment such as metronidazole, amoxicillin, and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Conclusion: There is a lack of awareness and knowledge regarding root canal treatment and medication used during tooth pain and its course of treatment.