Should undergraduate dental students perform molar root canal treatment? An observational study of procedural errors in root canal treatments

Abstract

Abstract Background Molar root canal treatment (RCT) is challenging and requires training and specific skills. Rotary instrumentation (RI) reduced the time needed for instrumentation but may increase the risk of certain procedural errors. The aims of this study were to assess the quality of molar RCTs provided by undergraduate students, to compare the incidence of procedural errors following manual and RI, and to report on the students’ perspective on performing this treatment. Methods Molar RCTs performed by the final year students in 2022 were evaluated radiographically according to predefined criteria. Treatment details, procedural errors and the overall treatment quality were recorded as well as the students’ perception of the treatments provided. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-squared test were used to detect any statistically significant differences. Results 60.5% of RCTs were insufficient. RI resulted in more sufficient treatments (48.6% vs 30% for manual instrumentation (MI), X2: 7.39, p = 0.007), required fewer visits to complete (2.9 vs 4.6 for MI, X2: 67.23, p < 0.001) and was the preferred technique by 93.1% of students. The most common procedural errors were underextension of the root canal obturation (48.4%), insufficient obturation (45.5%) and improper coronal seal (35.2%) without a significant difference between the two groups. Overextension and canal transportation were more frequently seen with MI. 26.4% of the participants were not confident to perform molar RCT without supervision. Conclusion Molar RCT is a technically demanding procedure and might require training beyond the level of undergraduate education. RI partially improved the quality of RCT compared with MI.