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Outcomes of root canal treatment performed by undergraduate students: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Philip Y-H Chien1, Sepanta Hosseinpour1, Ove A Peters1
1School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Background:
The outcomes of root canal treatment performed by students has not been well researched. Treatment outcomes of student clinicians directly correspond to the education they receive and therefore paves the way for future directions in endodontic education.
Objectives:
This systematic review aimed to evaluate endodontic outcomes and success rates of contemporary root canal treatment delivered by undergraduate dental students. Factors with a positive or negative effect on endodontic education and clinical treatment quality were evaluated.
Methods:
The investigation followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies from 2000 to 2024 were selected from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Embase databases after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each study was independently assessed, and bias was categorized systematically as low, moderate or high using the risk of bias (RoB) assessment tool. Unweighted and weighted pooled success rates for each factor were calculated, and statistical heterogeneity among study subgroups was evaluated.
Results:
Eleven studies were eligible for data extraction and qualitative synthesis. Three studies were eligible for meta-analysis and showed that teeth diagnosed with a vital pulp had a success rate of 87.8%, while teeth diagnosed with pulp necrosis had a success rate of 65.6%. Weighted success rates for teeth with and without preoperative radiolucencies were 56.3% and 86.8%, respectively. The RoB assessment showed that 4 out of 11 studies (36.4%) had a low risk of bias.
Conclusions:
The outcomes of root canal treatment performed by undergraduate students using contemporary techniques are not well understood. This analysis demonstrated that while student clinic outcomes were comparable to those reported in contemporary literature for general and specialist practice, variations in success rates may be influenced by factors such as clinical experience, exposure to diverse cases and teaching methodologies. Further research is needed to explore how educational innovations and clinical training impact endodontic outcomes in undergraduate settings.
Registration:
The systematic review search protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42024604079).
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