Radiographic Assessment of the Quality of Root Canal Fillings Performed by Senior Dental Students

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the radiographic technical quality of root canal fillings performed by senior dental students at Alfarabi colleges for dentistry, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Radiographic assessment was conducted for 246 teeth (390 root canals) endodontically treated by senior dental students to evaluate the quality of root canal fillings. Three criteria were evaluated to assess the technical quality of root canal fillings: length, density, and taper. The root canal filling was considered acceptable if it had an adequate length with no voids and consistent taper from the orifice to the apex. Statistical analysis was conducted using Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney, and chi-square tests (P=0.05). RESULTS: Acceptable root canal fillings were detected in 127 (32.6%) patients. The frequency of an acceptable root canal filling was the highest for the upper anterior teeth (40%). There were significant differences in the length and density among the types of teeth (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the taper among the types of teeth (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The quality of root canal fillings performed by senior undergraduate dental students at AlFarabi colleges for dentistry was acceptable in 32.6% of patients. This outcome enhanced the poor performance of undergraduate dental students in the area of endodontics.