Prevalence of persistent apical periodontitis in patients with root canal-filled teeth: A cone-beam computed tomography study

Aim: Apical periodontitis is the inflammatory destruction of periradicular tissues that occurs gradually over time, primarily originating from invading bacteria in the root canal system and initiated by the release of bacterial products. In this study, the prevalence of post-treatment apical periodontitis was assessed with cone-beam computed tomography imaging and the effects of tooth-level and patient-level factors that may predict the failure of root canal treatment were investigated in a Turkish subpopulation.Material and Methods: Our study included 305 cone-beam computed tomography images of patients (153 males, 152 females aged 18 to 78 years) [Mean & PLUSMN; standard deviation (SD) = 39.2 & PLUSMN; 17.6].Results: Post-treatment apical periodontitis prevalence was 83.3% and was more common in the premolars (9.5%), the mandible (11.8%), and the left side of the jaw (11.8%).Discussion: This study showed a high prevalence of post-treatment apical periodontitis in a Turkish subpopulation even in cases in which the quality of root canal filling appeared to be sufficient radiologically. Cone-beam computed tomography is one of the most sensitive imaging techniques for the detection of apical periodontitis.