Knowledge and Awareness of root canal therapy for population in Saudi Arabia: A questionnaire-based study

Abstract

Objective: The present study was planned with an aim to evaluate the knowledge and awareness regarding root canal treatment in a sample of Saudi population. Material and methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among a sample of participants in the Saudi population. Participants were asked questions to assess their knowledge about endodontic treatment. Results: A total of 568 patients (343 males and 225 females) participated in the study. When the patient’s responses were analyzed regarding endodontic treatment, it was found that 68.55 % of participants had a good experience of root canal treatment in the past. 27.9% of the respondents describe their knowledge of root canal treatment as average. Spontaneous toothache was considered the most important factor to seek endodontic treatment in majority (40.1%) of the participants and 86.6% of the participants preferred a specialist to undergo a root canal treatment. Conclusion: Pain associated with root canal treatment was the most important factor that dithered the surveyed participants from root canal treatment. The results of the survey reveal an improvement of knowledge and awareness of patients about root canal treatment