IADR Abstract Archives
Investigating the Decision-Making Practices of Specialists in Paediatric Dentistry and Endodontics: A Self-Administered Postal Survey
Objectives: To determine how specialists in paediatric dentistry and endodontics manage non-vital, immature teeth and to investigate factors that influence their decision-making practice.
Methods: A 13 item, self-administered postal survey was designed according to Dillman’s principles, and distributed to all paediatric dentists and endodontists on the General Dental Council Specialist lists. Closed-ended questions included binary dichotomous, ordinal-polytomous, and nominal-polytomous response formats, which were exhaustive and mutually exclusive. A single open-ended question was included. Confidentiality without anonymity enabled repeat contact to non-responders. Incentive for completion and a non-response postcard were included. Subgroup analyses were performed. Thematic analysis and word frequency query were completed.
Results: Response rate was 62% (n=290). Paediatric dentists are more likely than endodontists to manage non-vital, immature teeth. 83.8% of all responders are influenced by the available evidence base, and 70.0% by their previous clinical experience when planning the endodontic management of immature apices. 88.9% (n=258) of responders agreed that young people have difficulty accessing good quality management of immature teeth in primary care. 64.4% (n=96) of paediatric dentists and 66.6% (n=94) of endodontists reported no experience of regenerative endodontic procedures. There was a significant effect of specialty in relation to type of practice (p<0.001), geographical location (p<0.001), experience (p<0.001), use of an endodontic microscope (p<0.001), and disinfection protocols (p<0.001). There was also a significant effect of specialty in relation to factors that influence the decision-making practices of specialists, in relation to the endodontic management of immature teeth (see table).
Conclusions: There is little consistency in protocol for regenerative endodontic procedures. Most responders would choose to manage apical closure with a mineral trioxide aggregate apexification procedure. There is variation in factors that influence decision-making practice; material cost no longer appears to be a substantial concern.
Methods: A 13 item, self-administered postal survey was designed according to Dillman’s principles, and distributed to all paediatric dentists and endodontists on the General Dental Council Specialist lists. Closed-ended questions included binary dichotomous, ordinal-polytomous, and nominal-polytomous response formats, which were exhaustive and mutually exclusive. A single open-ended question was included. Confidentiality without anonymity enabled repeat contact to non-responders. Incentive for completion and a non-response postcard were included. Subgroup analyses were performed. Thematic analysis and word frequency query were completed.
Results: Response rate was 62% (n=290). Paediatric dentists are more likely than endodontists to manage non-vital, immature teeth. 83.8% of all responders are influenced by the available evidence base, and 70.0% by their previous clinical experience when planning the endodontic management of immature apices. 88.9% (n=258) of responders agreed that young people have difficulty accessing good quality management of immature teeth in primary care. 64.4% (n=96) of paediatric dentists and 66.6% (n=94) of endodontists reported no experience of regenerative endodontic procedures. There was a significant effect of specialty in relation to type of practice (p<0.001), geographical location (p<0.001), experience (p<0.001), use of an endodontic microscope (p<0.001), and disinfection protocols (p<0.001). There was also a significant effect of specialty in relation to factors that influence the decision-making practices of specialists, in relation to the endodontic management of immature teeth (see table).
Conclusions: There is little consistency in protocol for regenerative endodontic procedures. Most responders would choose to manage apical closure with a mineral trioxide aggregate apexification procedure. There is variation in factors that influence decision-making practice; material cost no longer appears to be a substantial concern.