A comparison of survival of teeth following endodontic treatment performed by general dentists or by specialists

Objective. A chart review was performed at 3 private general practices in different regions of Alabama to compare success of endodontic treatment provided by specialists versus generalists. Study design. To qualify for the study the general dentists had to perform some endodontic treatment and to refer some to endodontists. Success was defined as the treated tooth being present at 5 years after the date of treatment initiation. This criterion, was chosen because of its unequivocal categorization of results. Calibrated dentists reviewed over 3,000 charts. Results. 350 met the inclusion criteria. 195 teeth were treated by generalists, with an 89.7% success rate. 155 teeth were treated by endodontists, with a 98.1% success rate. Conclusion. In this limited survey, endodontic treatment by specialists was significantly more successful.