title: Evaluation of endodontic treatments performed by students in a Brazilian Dental School.
abstract: The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical outcomes of root canal treatments performed by final-year students in the Dental School of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas, SP, Brazil, during the year 2000 and to evaluate the success rate of these treatments at follow-ups conducted one and three years later (2001-03). All 579 endodontic treatments performed by final-year students were selected for this investigation. Detailed personal and dental history was obtained from the patient's records. Clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations were performed. For 78.8 percent of the cases, dental caries was recorded as the cause for performing endodontic treatment; for 8.8 percent, prosthetic reasons were given; and for 12.4 percent, failure of the endodontic treatment was the reason. The largest percentage (30.7 percent) of recalled patients was examined after one year; the success rate at this follow-up evaluation ranged from 83 percent to 96 percent depending on the pulp status prior to the root canal treatment. After three years, only 8 percent of treated patients returned; assessment for them revealed a 75.5 percent success rate. Dental caries is still the main reason for endodontic treatment. This level of success of the root canal treatment in a Brazilian dental school is similar to other reports in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas, UNICAMP, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iadasa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Quadros
authors.forename: Brenda P F A
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Alexandre A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Zaia
authors.forename: Caio C R
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Souza-Filho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D004497:Education, Dental; D004708:Endodontics / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000379:methods; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013335:Students, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome