Endodontic infection control practices among Pakistani general dental practitioners: A national cross-sectional questionnaire survey

Development of the Multidimensional Scale Related to Infectious Diseases in Dentistry

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess dentists' adherence to infection control protocols and explore psychological factors related to infectious diseases in dental practice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The instrument was developed through phases including context validity, face and semantic analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency was evaluated using McDonald's Omega coefficient (ω) and Cronbach's Alpha (α).

RESULTS

A total of 405 individuals completed the instrument. EFA (n = 135) revealed a four-factor structure (Work Environmental Protection, Disinfection, Team Training, and Fear and Anxiety) with 23 items with factor loadings above 0.60. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was 0.803, and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant (χ2: 2501.136, df:253.000, p < 0.001). CFA (n = 270) confirmed an acceptable model fit: χ2/df: 1.75; Comparative Fit Index (CFI): 0.997; Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI): 0.996; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR): 0.079; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA): 0.053, supporting the four-factor structure from the EFA. Reliability analysis demonstrated strong internal consistency across all factors (ω and α ≥ 0.70).

CONCLUSION

The developed instrument exhibited appropriate validity, reliability, and internal consistency, providing a suitable tool to evaluate infection control adherence and psychological aspects among dentists facing infectious diseases.

Radiographic Assessment of the Quality of Root Canal Filling of Mandibular First Molars Performed by Endodontists in Asir Region, Saudi Arabia

AIM

This study aimed to assess and evaluate the quality of root canal fillings (RCFs) conducted on mandibular first molars performed by endodontists in the Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional radiographical study was conducted among patients over 18 years old from both genders treated by endodontists with different qualifications and experiences. The treatments were carried out under similar operating field, materials, and equipment. The quality of the X-rays was evaluated according to the international standards in the form of length, density, and taper. Those radiographs were assessed by two evaluators with similar certificates. Intraexaminer agreements were calculated. Chi-square or Fisher's exact tests were used to test the significant difference between groups and the quality parameters. p < 0.05 was considered a cutoff point for statistical significance.

RESULTS

A total of 74 mandibular molars with 224 root canals treated were assessed in this radiographic study. The recorded adequate percentages were 77, 93, and 91% for the quality of RCF taper, density, and taper, respectively, with acceptable overall RCF quality of 87%. Significant differences were recorded between the right and left sides in terms of taper (p = 0.035), as well as between different years of experiences and different locations of the canals in terms of density (p = 0.040 for both variables).

CONCLUSION

The quality of RCFs performed by endodontist with different type of certificates performed in mandibular first molars were high in terms of density and taper but moderate in length. The overall RCF quality was acceptable.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Evaluation of the postoperative preapical X-rays for the endodontically treated teeth is a positive point in maintaining high standard services of patients. It should be followed as mentioned in the recommended textbooks in relation to length, taper, and density. How to cite this article: Almnea RA. Radiographic Assessment of the Quality of Root Canal Filling of Mandibular First Molars Performed by Endodontists in Asir Region, Saudi Arabia. J Contemp Dent Pract 2024;25(7):624-630.

The Use and Reprocessing of Endodontic Files in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives This study aimed to assess the awareness, implementation, and compliance with the infection control policy recommended by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for the use and reprocessing of endodontic files and to examine the association between compliance and gender, experience, clinical ranks, and workplace sector. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire created and distributed to dentists who perform endodontic treatment in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between June and July 2023. Descriptive statistics were reported as counts and percentages. Comparisons among the demographic groups were done using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results A total of 402 dentists completed the survey. The results showed that 76.1% (n=306) of respondents claimed that they were aware of the infection control policy recommended by the Saudi MOH for the use and reprocessing of endodontic files in dental clinics. Only 13.2% (n=53) of dentists used single-use endodontic files, and 36.6% (n=147) did not use an endodontic box in their dental clinics. The most commonly reported method of tracing the number of uses of endodontic files was to write the ID of the patient or the number of uses on the sterilization pouch as reported by 37.6% of participants (n=151). The average compliance score percentage was 63.5 ± 16.7. Most of the respondents showed moderate to high levels of compliance (51.7% (n=208) and 42.0% (n=169) of dentists, respectively). Dentists with less than 5 years of experience showed significantly less compliance than dentists with more than 10 years of experience (p = 0.005). Gender, clinical rank, and workplace sector were not significantly associated with the extent of adhering to the evaluated infection control policy. Conclusions Our findings indicate a relatively high level of compliance with the Saudi MOH policy of using and reprocessing endodontic files. However, critical measures such as the single-use of endodontic files, sterilizing new endodontic files, and using the sterilized endodontic box for each patient need improvement. Hence, this study recommends enhancing awareness through continuous education and training.