Evaluation Of Root Canal Irrigation Protocol Used By Various General Dental Practitioners Including Dental Graduates, Endodontists & Other Post Graduatue Dental Practitioners Of Ahmednagar : a Survey

Abstract

Background:  Irrigation protocol is considered to be the most essential step in the disinfection of root canals.

Aim: The aim of this survey was to ascertain the current trends in the irrigation of root canals followed by the general dental practitioners: Dental graduates, Endodontists & Postgraduates other than Endodontists in Ahmednagar registered with Indian Dental Association.

Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study in which the questionnaire was successfully delivered to 350 General Dental Practitioners (Dental graduates, Endodontists & Postgraduates other than Endodontists) registered with Indian Dental Association in Ahmednagar district, requested to fill and received back. Questions related to their selection of irrigant, concentration of irrigant, protocol for removal of smear layer, and adjuncts used during irrigation were asked to the survey participants.The data was assembled by a single assessor & analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007.

Results: Response rate as high as 87.1% was recorded by this survey. Our study showed that, 55.1% respondents used the primary endodontic irrigant as sodium hypochlorite, with 46.6% of them using it in 2.6 to 4 % concentration. Chlorhexidine as an irrigant was found to be among 25.9% of the respondents. In our study, only 13% respondents were discovered using any kind of adjunct to irrigation with none using either subsonic activation (e.g. EndoActivator) or negative pressure irrigation systems.

Conclusion: The survey findings are that most of the dental practitioners registered with Indian Dental Association in Ahmednagar district were using 2.6 to 4% of sodium hypochlorite as a primary irrigant. The results showed that there is a high requirement of upgrading the irrigation methods adopted by the Dental Practitioners in Ahmednagar by providing them knowledge about the newer methods & techniques used for irrigation.