Technical standard of root canal treatment in an adult Scottish sub-population

Objective To examine the periapical status, technical standard and frequency of root canal treatment in an adult population in Scotland. Design Examination of full-mouth periapical radiographs from 340 consecutive adult patients (8420 teeth) attending Glasgow and Dundee Dental Hospitals for clinical examination. Methods Position and quality of the root fillings were assessed together with signs of periradicular radiolucencies. The influence of the type of coronal restoration was also assessed. Main outcome measures Pathologies associated with impacted third molars and outcomes following surgical removal of third molars. Results 54% of the patient sample had root filled teeth. 5.6% of the teeth examined radiographically had root fillings, and of these, 58.1% had radiographic signs of periapical disease. 41% of the patients had at least one non-root canal treated tooth with periapical disease. 77% of teeth with post-retained crowns had evidence of periapical pathology. Conclusions Root fillings judged to be adequate radiographically had a reduced incidence of radiolucencies. Teeth obturated beyond the apex had more radiolucencies than those obturated flush with or within 2 mm of the radiographic apex. A high proportion of post-retained crowns were associated with periapical pathology. There is a substantial future need both for root canal treatment and for standardised treatment methods.