PREVALENCE OF TEACHING APICAL PATENCY AND VARIOUS INSTRUMENTATION ANDOBTURATION TECHNIQUES IN UNITED-STATES DENTAL SCHOOLS

Maintaining an open apex beyond the apical constriction with an endodo ntic file during canal instrumentation is a concept that has been advo cated by several authors and clinicians. To ascertain the prevalence o f teaching the patency concept as well as various instrumentation and obturation techniques in the United States dental schools, a survey wa s conducted. Forty-eight out of a total of 53 dental schools (91%) res ponded to the survey. Results indicate that 50% of the schools surveye d teach the concept of patency to their undergraduates or graduates or both; 83% teach a step-back instrumentation technique; and 89.6% teac h lateral condensation of gutta percha as their primary obturation tec hnique.