title: Periapical status and quality of endodontic treatment in an adult Irish population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of apical periodontitis and the quality of root fillings in an adult Irish population using a retrospective analysis of orthopantomograms (OPGs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic sample of clinical records and OPGs of 302 adult patients attending the Dublin Dental Hospital, Ireland, were screened by two examiners to determine the quality of root canal treatment and the prevalence of apical periodontitis. The operators who carried out the treatment were unknown. Two examiners inspected OPGs after inter-examiner correlation. European Society of Endodontology (ESE) guidelines were used to determine adequacy of root treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 7427 teeth examined 2% had root fillings. Apical periodontitis was evident in 1.6% of all nonroot filled teeth whilst 33.1% of the subjects had at least one tooth with apical periodontitis. Of the root filled teeth, 25% had apical periodontitis and 52.6% were considered technically inadequate by ESE guidelines. There was a statistically significant (P < 0.05) negative correlation between the quality of the root fillings and the prevalence of apical periodontitis. Posterior root filled teeth (premolars and molars) had a greater prevalence of apical periodontitis than anterior root filled teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The technical quality of root fillings in an adult Irish population was poor and was consistent with a high prevalence of apical periodontitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon Tyne, UK. jarlath.loftus@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Loftus
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McCartan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data