Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception Among Endodontists Toward Regenerative Endodontics: A Cross-sectional Survey of Four Indian Universities

BACKGROUND: Regenerative endodontics is a rapidly developing field in dentistry. However, the regenerative endodontic procedures are not familiar to many clinicians in India. AIM: This survey aimed at assessing the level of knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) among endodontists toward regenerative endodontics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the year 2019 to collect data. A questionnaire to collect data on KAP toward regenerative endodontics was administered to 49 faculty and 69 postgraduate students of endodontics from four universities. The Chi-Square test and logistic regression were applied to study the association between KAP and demographic variables. Spearman's rho was computed to study the correlation between KAP scale scores of the participants. The data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software program (SPSS), version 15.0 (South Asia, Bangalore). RESULTS: The survey yielded an overall response rate of 81%. Less than 50% of the participants had sound knowledge, 65% had a positive attitude, and only 21% had a positive perception about Regenerative Endodontic Procedures (REPs). Most of the participants (86.5%) were of the opinion that regenerative therapies should be a part of dentistry. Majority of the participants (89.6%) were inclined to receive training in REPs. About 80% of the participants felt that the higher cost of treatment is a significant hurdle for patients to accept REPs. Less than half the participants (41.7%) were using REPs in their clinical practice, such as the use of membranes, scaffolds, and revascularization. CONCLUSION: Endodontists have a positive attitude toward the use of regenerative therapies. However, there is a deficiency of training in REPs in dental colleges.