Periapical Status of Non-Root-Filled Teeth With Amalgam, Composite, or Crown Restorations: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to evaluate the periapical status (PAS) of restored non-root-filled (RNRF) teeth amongst a group of patients attending dental teaching clinics at Jordan University of Science & Technology. It also aimed to assess the association of type and quality of coronal restorations and periapical disease.

This was a cross-sectional study. To be included, participants needed to have at least 1 non-root-filled tooth restored with either direct or indirect restoration. A sample of 491 participants was examined. Clinical examination and digital periapical radiographs were used to record material used and assess the quality of the restorations. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the association between PAS and gender, age, restoration material/type, and quality.

Overall, 26.3% of the participants were diagnosed with apical periodontitis (AP) on 1 or more of the examined teeth. No significant differences in the prevalence of AP were observed when comparing amalgam to composite or indirect restorations (P = .386). Furthermore, no association was reported between AP and gender or age, while a significant association was observed with the restoration's quality (P < .001).

The high prevalence of AP in the examined sample is of clinical concern and suggests that more attention should be directed towards dental health awareness in Jordan. Teeth restored with inadequate restorations were twice as likely to have AP.