The Use and Reprocessing of Endodontic Files in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives This study aimed to assess the awareness, implementation, and compliance with the infection control policy recommended by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) for the use and reprocessing of endodontic files and to examine the association between compliance and gender, experience, clinical ranks, and workplace sector. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire created and distributed to dentists who perform endodontic treatment in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected between June and July 2023. Descriptive statistics were reported as counts and percentages. Comparisons among the demographic groups were done using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Results A total of 402 dentists completed the survey. The results showed that 76.1% (n=306) of respondents claimed that they were aware of the infection control policy recommended by the Saudi MOH for the use and reprocessing of endodontic files in dental clinics. Only 13.2% (n=53) of dentists used single-use endodontic files, and 36.6% (n=147) did not use an endodontic box in their dental clinics. The most commonly reported method of tracing the number of uses of endodontic files was to write the ID of the patient or the number of uses on the sterilization pouch as reported by 37.6% of participants (n=151). The average compliance score percentage was 63.5 ± 16.7. Most of the respondents showed moderate to high levels of compliance (51.7% (n=208) and 42.0% (n=169) of dentists, respectively). Dentists with less than 5 years of experience showed significantly less compliance than dentists with more than 10 years of experience (p = 0.005). Gender, clinical rank, and workplace sector were not significantly associated with the extent of adhering to the evaluated infection control policy. Conclusions Our findings indicate a relatively high level of compliance with the Saudi MOH policy of using and reprocessing endodontic files. However, critical measures such as the single-use of endodontic files, sterilizing new endodontic files, and using the sterilized endodontic box for each patient need improvement. Hence, this study recommends enhancing awareness through continuous education and training.