ABSTRACT
Proper isolation is an essential prerequisite for successful endodontic treatment. This article aims to provide an update on the prevalence of rubber dam (RD) use, and the role of education along with attitudes of general dental practitioners (GDPs) and patients towards the application of RD in endodontics. Critical ethical issues are also highlighted. Using certain keywords, an electronic search was conducted spanning the period from January 1983 to April 2013 to identify the available related investigations, and the pooled data were then analysed. The results show that although RD is the Standard of Care in endodontic practice, there is a clear discrepancy in what GDPs are taught in dental school and what they practice after graduation. There is little scientific evidence to support the application of RD; however, patient safety and clinical practice guidelines indicate that it is unnecessary and unethical to consider a cohort study to prove what is already universally agreed upon. A few clinical situations may require special management which should be highlighted in the current guidelines. This would pave the way for clear and straightforward universal guidelines.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Dentists , Endodontics , Rubber Dams , Dental Care , Endodontics/education , Endodontics/ethics , Endodontics/methods , Humans , Practice Patterns, Dentists' , Rubber Dams/ethics , Students, DentalABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The objective was to survey a group of dental residents regarding their expectations for using regenerative endodontic procedures as part of future dental treatments. METHODS: After institutional review board approval, the opinions of 32 dentists who were having postgraduate residency training to become specialists in a dental school were surveyed. The survey had 40 questions about professional status, ethical beliefs, judgment, and clinical practice. RESULTS: It was found that 83.9% of dentists had no continuing education or training in stem cells or regenerative endodontic procedures. Results showed that 96.8% of dentists are willing to receive training to be able to provide regenerative endodontic procedures for their patients. Of the total group, 49.1% of dentists already use membranes, scaffolds, or bioactive materials to provide dental treatment. It was determined that 47.3% of dentists agree that the costs of regenerative procedures should be comparable with current treatments. It was also found that 55.1% of dentists were unsure whether regenerative procedures would be successful. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists are supportive of using regenerative endodontic procedures in their dental practice, and they are willing to undergo extra training and to buy new technology to provide new procedures. Nevertheless, dentists also need more evidence for the effectiveness and safety of regenerative treatments before they will be recommended for most patients.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Endodontics/education , Internship and Residency , Regenerative Medicine/education , Specialties, Dental/education , Adult , Biocompatible Materials/therapeutic use , Endodontics/ethics , Ethics, Dental , Female , Humans , Male , Membranes, Artificial , Middle Aged , Patient Safety , Periodicals as Topic , Practice Patterns, Dentists' , Professional Practice , Professional Practice Location , Regeneration/physiology , Regenerative Medicine/ethics , Reimbursement Mechanisms , Stem Cells/physiology , Tissue Engineering , Tissue ScaffoldsABSTRACT
Los autores revisan los artículos publicados en las revistas científicas más significativas en el ámbito de la endodoncia durante el año 2007 comparándolos entre ellos, con otros anteriores y con los conceptos clásicos de la endodoncia (AU)
The authors review the articles published in the most relevant journals concerning endodontic during the last year 2007, making a comparison between them as well as with other older ones and with classic concepts in endodontics (AU)
