EVALUATION OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTISE ON ARMAMENTARIUM FOR ENDODONTIC SURGERY AMONG UNDERGRADUATE DENTAL STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION: Armamentarium in dentistry refers to the equipment and instruments used in dental care.These Instruments are mainly used to examine, clean, cut and restore the teeth during any procedure. Endodontic armamentarium mainly deals with the use of ultrasonics which are primarily known for its magnification and illumination, which are essential parameters to identify anatomical details found in the root canals. The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice about the armamentarium used in endodontic surgery among undergraduate dental students. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present study is a cross sectional survey conducted among the age group 18-25 years to analyse their knowledge, attitude and practise about armamentarium for endodontic surgery. A self administered questionnaire was prepared which included 13 questions and was circulated among the students through google docs. The data was collected and statistically analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Majority of the students were aware about the armamentarium used in endodontic surgeries. Majority of the third year students were aware about the instruments used in endodontic surgery(45.25%) followed by the interns(14.29%, 0.000(p value<0.05, statistically significant). Third year students were aware that teflon coated sutures are stronger than silk (46.43%) followed by the interns(14.29%, 0.002(p value<0.05, statistically significant). Majority of the third year students were aware that MTA was gold standard material in root end filling followed by second year students (0.560, p value>0.05, statistically insignificant). CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the study, it can be concluded that undergraduate dental students were aware about the importance of armamentarium in endodontic surgery. Around 81.2% of the students were aware about the instruments used in endodontic surgery. 42% of the study population are aware about the difference between traditional and micro endodontic surgery. 89 % of the participants were aware that MTA was the gold standard material for root end filling. Majority of the students practising clinical dentistry were aware of the armamentarium used for endodontic surgery.