Root Canal Therapy Perceived as Being No Worse Than Other Procedures

A paper from the University of Adelaide in Australia suggests patients do not perceive root canal therapy as any worse than other dental procedures. Published in the Journal of Endodontics, the research, “Comparative Longitudinal Study on the Impact Root Canal Treatment and Other Dental Services Have on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Using Self-Reported Health Measures,” collected information from 1096 randomly selected subjects. The participants’ self-rated dental health scores were checked when they received dental treatment, and again two years later. According to the study, patients who received root canal therapy reported similar oral health-related quality of life as patients who had other types of procedures, including extractions, restorations and preventive treatment.

From Decisions in Dentistry. September 2019;5(8):8.