title: Clinical and Patient-centered Outcomes of Nonsurgical Root Canal Retreatment in First Molars Using Contemporary Techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been many recent technical advances in modern endodontics that have the potential to affect treatment outcomes. Reports on treatment outcomes using contemporary techniques are relatively scarce, especially in the field of nonsurgical retreatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the success of nonsurgical root canal retreatment in molars using contemporary endodontic techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-three patients referred for retreatment in first molars were enrolled in the study. The retreatment procedures were performed by endodontic residents using a semistandardized treatment protocol. Patients were followed-up at 6, 12, and 24 months. Treatment outcomes were categorized into healed, healing, or nonhealing based on clinical and radiographic criteria. Healed and healing were considered as successes, and nonhealing was considered a failure. Outcomes were also evaluated using patient-centered criteria that included oral health-related quality of life scores and subjective chewing ability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-two of the 63 patients were available for final analysis. Five cases (9.6%) were determined to be nonhealing at the last follow-up with new or persistent periapical lesions. Thirty-seven (71.2%) patients had complete resolution of apical periodontitis, and the remaining 10 (19.2%) remained asymptomatic and showed radiographic evidence of healing. Oral health-related quality of life scores and chewing ability improved significantly over time (P < .05), with the biggest increase observed within the first week of treatment completion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that endodontic retreatment using contemporary techniques significantly improved patients' quality of life and chewing ability over time, with a success rate of 90.4% after 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, The Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas. Electronic address: jhe@bcd.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Jianing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, The Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, The Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, The Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Jordan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.affiliation: Endodontics, Center for Advanced Dental Education, Saint Louis University, St Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Karl F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Woodmansey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008963:Molar / Q000601:surgery*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D019233:Retreatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012390:Root Canal Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Chewing ability; outcome; quality of life; retreatment; root canal