INDIANAPOLIS: According to new research by Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry, teeth survive about 11 years after a root canal treatment.
Root canals are an important procedure for preserving diseased natural teeth. The treated tooth, on the other hand, gets brittle and dies over time. Understanding the procedure's outcomes is critical for improving dental treatments. However, this study is the first to examine records from community dental setups, which provide dental care to most Americans.
To conduct the study, the researchers used deidentified electronic dental records from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN), which is made up of 99 small group and solo dentistry offices across the country. More than 46,000 root canal patients were included in the study.
The data analysis showed that a tooth's median survival time after a root canal is 11.1 years. However, various circumstances, including follow-up therapy and geographic region, can impact. The data indicated that
- Teeth that receive a filling and crown after a root canal treatment last about 20 years.
- Teeth that receive either a crown or a filling after a root canal last around 11 years.
- Teeth receiving no restorative work after a root canal only last about 6.5 years.
Moreover, the data revealed that insurance status, i.e., dental insurance coverage, also played a substantial role in tooth survival by demonstrating the importance of crowns and permanent restoration options.
Dr Thankam Thyvalikakath, the lead author of the research, said, "The findings of this study give deeper insight into the longevity of dental procedures because it provides real-world data on a wider range of patients, not just those receiving care in large health systems or those who are insured. Furthermore, he added that this information could inform dental practice and help patients and dentists make better care decisions.
The study "Root canal treatment survival analysis in National Dental PBRN practices" has recently been published in the Journal of Dental Research.
