title: Treatment time for non-surgical endodontic therapy with or without a magnifying loupe.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of magnifying loupe may increase the efficiency of dental care. This clinical trial compared the time in performing non-surgical endodontic therapy with or without the use of a magnifying loupe.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who required primary endodontic treatment in clinical trial centres at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in Hong Kong and Peking University (PKU) in Beijing were invited to participate in this study. Two HKU dentists and 2 PKU dentists, forming 2 pairs of dentists with similar years of clinical experience, performed endodontic treatments according to the same procedures and used the same materials, either in single or multiple visits. They had no prior experience with the use of a magnifying loupe. One dentist from each pair was trained to use a magnifying loupe (x2.5). The treatment time was recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-four PKU patients with a mean age of 42.8 years and 98 HKU patients with a mean age of 46.0 years were recruited in this study. Ninety-six teeth were treated with a magnifying loupe and 86 teeth were treated without a magnifying loupe. The results showed that treatment time was not associated with age, gender, tooth vitality, or the presence of apical radiolucency or sinus tract. The results of ANCOVA revealed the treatment time was associated with the clinic (HKU or PKU), root canal system (single or multiple), presence of preoperative pain, treatment visit (single or multiple), the use of a magnifying loupe, and the experience of the operator.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, the use of a magnifying loupe could significantly reduce the endodontic treatment time.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical Trials ChiCTR-IOR-15005988 registered 15 February 2015.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. drawong@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Amy Wai-yee
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School and Hospital of Stomatology Special Service Clinic, Peking University, Beijing, China. zhuxiaofei767@foxmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. zhangsn2000@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. skyli@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Samantha Ka-yan
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. cfzhang@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Chengfei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. chchu@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Chun-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003722:Dental Alloys / Q000737:chemistry; D003751:Dental Fistula / Q000628:therapy; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012389:Root Canal Obturation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D018915:Root Canal Preparation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry; D014098:Toothache / Q000628:therapy; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003722:Dental Alloys; D012388:Root Canal Irrigants; D015035:Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement; C040654:titanium nickelide; D009532:Nickel; D014025:Titanium; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide