title: Attitudes of dentists regarding the restoration of root canal treated teeth: a survey in Greece.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate attitudes of Greek dentists regarding the restoration of root canal treated (RCT) teeth and to compare them to recommended guidelines. Additionally, to examine relationships between degree of dentists' professional experience or region of practice location and attitudes of restoring RCT teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 302 dentists using a structured self-administered questionnaire. For each dentist a score was assigned reflecting the level of compliance with scientific recommendations for restoration of RCT teeth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  89.4% of the respondents reported that not every RCT tooth requires a post while the 46.4% stated that a post reinforces it. 76.2% of the participants believed that the ferrule design provides a reinforcement to RCT teeth. Dentists with 6-20 years of experience showed a higher level of compliance with the principles in the literature than their colleagues with less or more years of practising. No significant difference was detected between dentists practising in urban and rural areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of Greek dentists had knowledge in accordance with recommended guidelines, except the aspect of the reinforcement effect by the post. In contrast to the region of practice location, the degree of professional experience influenced the restoration of root-treated teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fixed Prosthesis and Implant Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece. dtortopi@dent.auth.gr
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tortopidis
authors.forename: Polyxeni
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menexes
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D000044:Dental Abutments; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent / Q000523:psychology*; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011176:Post and Core Technique; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011331:Private Practice; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D019246:Tooth Preparation / Q000379:methods; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D003764:Dental Materials