The effect of endodontic treatment on the microhardness of root dentin according to a survey of dentists

Purpose. To identify the stages of endodontic dental treatment that, according to a survey of dentists, can negativelyaffect the microhardness of root dentin.Material and methods. Seventy-seven dentists (24 men, 53 women) participated in the survey. Therapeuticmedical care was provided by 27 participants, mixed care – by 23 participants, therapeutic care with a predominanceof endodontic treatment – by 19 participants, pediatric consultations – by 8 participants. The average age of therespondents was 38 (24–70) years. The questionnaire was provided electronically via Google Forms. Statisticalanalysis of the contigency tables with Pearson’s chi-square test was carried out using the StatTech software (Russia).Results. Most respondents answered that mechanical root canal treatment impacts the microhardness of root dentinnegatively (88.7%). Younger dentists were significantly more likely to respond that activation of irrigation solutionnegatively affects the microhardness of root dentin compared with older physicians (p=0.008). Those specialistswho have encountered vertical crack of the root in lower premolars and in lower molars considered it necessary todevelop new approaches to endodontic treatment (p=0.036* for the lower premolars, р<0.001* for the lower molars).Most dentists surveyed believe that temporary sealing pastes negatively affect the microhardness of root dentin,and it is necessary to develop new approaches to endodontic treatment, a smaller proportion did not consider thedevelopment of new approaches necessary and answered that temporary pastes affect microhardness (p=0.038).The opinion about the importance of maintaining the microhardness of root dentin to improve the prognosis duringrepeated endodontic treatment and the need to develop approaches for endodontic treatment was stated by asignificant number of respondents, compared with those who did not consider it important (p=0.007).
Conclusions. The results of this survey showed a number of differences in the methods of endodontic treatmentused, opinions about the negative impact of certain treatment methods on the microhardness of root dentin, andthe importance of developing endodontic treatment approaches to preserve the microhardness of root dentin.Based on the survey results, reliable relationships between the stages and methods of work and their effect on themicrohardness of root dentin were revealed.
Keywords: endodontics, endodontic treatment, microhardness of root dentin, strength of root dentin, survey ofdentists, vertical crack of the root, mechanical treatment of the canal, irrigation, temporary pastes
Conflicts of interest. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Funding. There was no funding for this study