Treatment duration of root canal procedures and associated factors among patients attending University of Nairobi Dental Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Objective: This research aimed to define the number of appointments, inter-appointment duration of root canal procedures and associated factors among patients attending the University of Nairobi Dental Hospital.

Design: Retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study

Setting: University of Nairobi Dental Hospital

Participants: Data was collected from the files of 196 patients who had undergone root canal treatment at the School of Dental Sciences.

Outcome measurements: Treatment duration, inter-appointment time

Results: Most cases took ≤3 appointments (67.3%) to completion of treatment. The inter-appointment time was 1-7 days in most cases (61.2%). Most teeth ≤2 canals (82.4%) took ≤ 3 appointments, while 56.4% of teeth with more than 2 canals took ≥ 4 appointments. 88.9% of teeth with procedural errors took ≥ 4 appointments to completion. Most cases treated in ≥ 4 appointments (82.8%) were handled by undergraduate students. There was a statistically significant association between number of appointments and canal morphology, (Fischer’s exact test=21.32 p=0.00), level of clinician’s expertise (X2=35.08 p=0.00), occurrence of procedural errors (Fischer’s exact test= 18.16 p=0.002).

Conclusion: Majority of the teeth were treated in three appointments or less (67.3%) and the inter-appointment time was mostly one to seven days (61.2%). The main factors influencing treatment duration were complexity of root canal morphology, level of clinician’s expertise and occurrence of procedural errors.