title: Prevalence of teaching apical patency and various instrumentation and obturation techniques in United States dental schools.
abstract: Maintaining an open apex beyond the apical constriction with an endodontic file during canal instrumentation is a concept that has been advocated by several authors and clinicians. To ascertain the prevalence of teaching the patency concept as well as various instrumentation and obturation techniques in the United States dental schools, a survey was conducted. Forty-eight out of a total of 53 dental schools (91%) responded to the survey. Results indicate that 50% of the schools surveyed teach the concept of patency to their undergraduates or graduates or both; 83% teach a step-back instrumentation technique; and 89.6% teach lateral condensation of gutta percha as their primary obturation technique.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Department of Oral Health Practice, Lexington 40536-0084, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Cailleteau
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Mullaney
mesh_terms: D003479:Curriculum; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity; D004497:Education, Dental; D004708:Endodontics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000379:methods*; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019227:Tooth Apex; D014481:United States