Tactile working length determination for root canal therapy in underserved settings

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Public Health
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Unstable electrical infrastructure in rural Africa poses challenges for standard radiographic procedures in endodontic treatment.
• Ensuring reliable working length determination is crucial for successful root canal therapy outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of tactile versus radiographic working length determination in Bioactive Root Therapy (BRT).
• To evaluate radiographic and clinical outcomes of BRT using different working length determination methods.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre randomized controlled trial was conducted in rural Gambia.
• Patients were assigned to either tactile or radiographic working length determination groups.
• Radiographic and clinical outcomes were assessed at 24 months.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed in radiographic outcomes (apical extension, periapical index) between tactile and radiographic working length determination.
• Clinical outcomes, including tooth tenderness and tooth loss, also showed no significant differences.
• The study utilized block randomization due to infrastructure instability.

Conclusions:

• Tactile working length determination in BRT yields comparable results to standard radiographic methods.
• Tactile working length determination is a reliable and accurate technique for BRT, particularly in resource-limited settings.