(PO27) A Retrospective Study of Incomplete Primary Endodontic Treatments: Influencing Factors and Treatment Outcomes. Phase One: Data Collection and Descriptive Statistics

Abstract: The reasons for and outcomes of teeth with incomplete primary orthograde root canal treatment (RCT) have not been extensively studied. Phase one of this study aimed to investigate tooth and patient characteristics linked to the initiation of RCT without subsequent completion in an academic setting. Data was collected through electronic dental records at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry (UICoD) from July 2009 to July 2022. Variables of interest included patient demographics and pertinent clinical characteristics. A total of 291 subjects (one tooth per subject) met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average subject age was 39.7 ± 18.1 years, with 94.5% aged 18 or older. About 69% of subjects were female, 71.5% were white, and 69.4% lived within 60 miles of UICoD. Roughly half of the subjects were on Medicaid insurance. Final clinical designations included incomplete RCT (59.1%), a non-restorable designation from the treating clinician (22.3%), extraction for unknown reasons (6.9%), and extraction due to patient preference (5.2%). At the last follow-up (868.2 ± 1252.3 days), nearly 43% of teeth survived, while others were extracted (41.8%) or planned for extraction (15.3%). Pulp necrosis (43.5%) and symptomatic apical periodontitis (50.9%) were the most common pulpal and periapical diagnoses, respectively. Nearly 60% of teeth with incomplete RCT were molars, and approximately 60% of cases were treated by pre-doctoral students. Teeth with pain at diagnosis, molar teeth, and treatment performed by novice clinicians may increase the risk of incomplete RCT. Upon completion of the final data collection, further statistical analyses will proceed.