Postgraduate Perceptions of Advanced Irrigation Systems in Endodontic Practice

Objectives: Disinfection of the root canal system remains the cornerstone of root canal treatment (RCT). Devices such as GentleWave^®, Waterlase iPlus^TM, and Irrisafe^TM agitate irrigation solutions with the goal of optimising debridement and disinfection during RCT. This study investigated postgraduate perceptions of these three devices in daily endodontic practice.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six postgraduate students attending an endodontics residency program where training and experience was provided in the use of GentleWave, Waterlase iPlus, and Irrisafe. Topics evaluated included clinician views on patient interaction with the devices, and clinician confidence, potential stressors, and preferences in using the devices. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was used to build and identify the main themes and subthemes.
Results: Following data analysis, five main themes were identified. Factors influencing clinician confidence and preference with a specific device included patient and clinician comfort, level of disinfection achieved, versatility, and usability. The postgraduates interviewed anticipated adoption of advanced irrigation systems in the future. They appreciated the need to keep up-to-date with emerging technologies, however, the majority were middle- or late-stage adopters relying on published evidence and advice from experts.
Conclusions: This qualitative study highlights important factors that need to be considered when introducing new devices into clinical practice. Postgraduates in endodontics are open to new methods of achieving disinfection of the root canal system, however, they all stressed the importance of outcome studies to help make the determination to incorporate new techniques into their clinical practice.