An Audit of the Quality of Root Canal Treatments Performed by Undergraduate Dental Students on Singlerooted Teeth in Glasgow Dental Hospital and School

Abstract - The aim of this investigation was to assess the technical quality of root canal treatments performed by undergraduate dental students on single rooted teeth at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School. One hundred radiographs of single rooted teeth that had root canal treatment were randomly selected and examined under even illumination in a darkened room using x2 magnification. Of 100 teeth, 20 had voids, and one was perforated. The remaining 79 teeth were assessed using predetermined criteria, and 80% (n=63) were judged to be ‘acceptable’, 5% (n=4) were ‘under-filled’, and 15% (n=12) were ‘over-filled’. The quality of root canal fillings performed in single rooted teeth by undergraduate dental students at the Glasgow Dental Hospital and School was found to comparable to, or better than, that reported from other international institutions.

KEYWORDS: Undergraduate, Endodontics, Quality, Root treatment, Radiographic.