ANALYSIS OF A REFERRAL-BASED ENDODONTIC PRACTICE .2. TREATMENT PROVIDED

Little information exists in the dental literature regarding the range of treatment provided by specialist endodontists. This study was unde rtaken to analyze the range and incidence of treatment procedures perf ormed on 2000 patients referred to a specialist endodontist in Perth, Western Australia. There were 312 people that did not require endodont ic treatment, resulting in 1688 patients having treatment on 2221 teet h. Routine treatment without complications was provided to 313 teeth. (14%) while a total of 451 teeth (20.3%) had calcified or blocked cana ls. Endodontic retreatment was necessary in 815 teeth (36.7%), 210 tee th (9.4%) had posts removed, and 236 (10.6%) had endodontic surgery. P erforations were present in 119 teeth (5.4%) and these were treated ei ther conservatively (81 teeth, 3.6%) or with surgery (38 teeth, 1.7%). Dental trauma was the reason for referral of 258 patients who require d treatment on 217 teeth (9.8%). The wide range of treatment procedure s required indicates that endodontists must be highly skilled in all a spects of the discipline.