Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 62, Issue 5, September–October 2017, Page 288
Dental Abstracts

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Success of endodontic treatment and age

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2017.05.040Get rights and content

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Background

Nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) has variously been said to have lower or higher success rates when the patient is older. Cost utility may be less important for elderly patients than for others, but life quality remains desirable for all patients. Teeth retained through NSRCT are valued by elders, even if dentists struggle with the diagnostic and technical challenges that can be presented. Elders also face barriers to receiving dental care, including complexity of the care required,

Methods

Searches of the MEDLINE and Cochrane CENTRAL databases yielded 24 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The articles included 9 prospective and 15 retrospective designs and covered 17,430 teeth.

Results

Differences among the 24 studies were noted in reporting units, outcome criteria, treatment methods, provider, duration of follow-up, year of publication, sample selection, geographical location, sample size, age groupings, and analytical methods. Fifteen studies used their own success criteria, 3 used Orstavik’s Periapical Index, 2 used the Strindberg Criteria, 1 used the Halse and Molven Criteria, and 1 used the European Society of Endodontology Criteria. However, all of the criteria

Conclusions

Taken together, these 24 longitudinal studies found increased patient age did not diminish the success or survival rates associated with NSRCT. Two actually found better results with increasing age.

Clinical Significance

The success of NSRCT is not compromised by a patient’s increased age. Therefore dentists and patients should consider such treatment as a viable option regardless of age.

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Shakiba B, Hamedy R, Pak JG, et al: Influence of increased patient age on longitudinal outcomes of root canal treatment: a systematic review. Gerodontology 34:101-109, 2017

Reprints available from SN White, UCLA School of Dentistry, 23-010 CHS, 10833 Le Conte Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668; fax: +310 794-4900; e-mail: [email protected]

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