Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40157709›Full record

ArticleJournal of dentistry2025

Characteristics of teeth and patients receiving root canal treatment in National Dental PBRN practices: Comparison between Endodontist and general dentist practices.

R Mungia, E Funkhouser, A S Law, D R Nixdorf, R L Rubin, V V Gordan, J L Fellows, G H Gilbert, National Dental PBRN Collaborative Group

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of dentistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

R MungiaDepartment of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive; MC 8258; Suite 300.29, San Antonio, TX, 78229. Electronic address: mungia@uthscsa.edu.
E FunkhouserDivision of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 11th Avenue South, 611 MT, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294. Electronic address: emfunk@uab.edu.
A S LawDivision of Endodontics, University of Minnesota, 2200 County Rd. C, West, Roseville, MN 55113. Electronic address: alaw@thedentalspecialists.com.
D R NixdorfDivision of TMD and Orofacial Pain, University of Minnesota, 6-320 Moos Tower, 515 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55455. Electronic address: nixdorf@umn.edu.
R L RubinAmerican Board of Endodontics, 6605 Pittsford-Palmyra Rd Ste W3, Fairport, NY, 14450. Electronic address: rr@rubinendo.com.
V V GordanDepartment of Restorative Dental Science, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, 1395 Center Drive, Room 3-39, Gainesville, FL, 32601. Electronic address: vgordan@dental.ufl.edu.
J L FellowsKaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, 3800N. Interstate Ave., Portland, OR, 97227. Electronic address: Jeffrey.fellows@kpchr.org.
G H GilbertDepartment of Clinical & Community Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medical Towers Suite 402, 1717 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35205. Electronic address: ghg@uab.edu.
National Dental PBRN Collaborative Group

Funding

The National Dental PBRNU19DE022516 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI GILBERT, GREGG H · 2012 to 2018
$66.4M
The National Dental PBRN - Administrative CoreU19DE028717 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI GILBERT, GREGG H · 2019 to 2025
$23.5M
NIDCR NIH HHS U19 DE022516NIDCR NIH HHS U19 DE028717
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo describe and compare patient and tooth characteristics determined prior to treatment among those receiving root canal treatment (RCT) from general dentists (GD) versus endodontists within the National Dental Practice-Based Research (PBRN) Network.

methodsThis National Dental PBRN study involved 153 practitioners (104 GDs and 49 endodontists) who used a consecutive enrollment strategy to enroll patients. Practitioners recorded details about pre-operative tooth characteristics. Prior to RCT, patients provided data about their socio-demographic, medication use, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), and psycho-social characteristics. We describe the overall prevalence of these characteristics and compare them by provider type.

results1,723 patients were enrolled; 788 by GDs and 935 by endodontists. Endodontists treated higher proportions of female, non-Hispanic white, better-educated patients, patients from the Midwest and Southwest regions, and molar teeth compared to GDs. GDs saw a higher proportion of patients from the Northeast region and whose teeth had a probing depth of 5 mm or more. All of these characteristics were independently and significantly (at p <.05) associated with provider type. Endodontists were more likely than GDs to see patients with TMD symptoms in bivariate comparisons, but their patient groups were similar with regard to treatment outcome expectation, dental fear, depression, and anxiety.

conclusionSignificant differences exist between endodontists and GDs in patient demographics, tooth characteristics, and treatment patterns, with endodontists treating more molars, female, non-Hispanic white, and educated patients, while GDs manage more cases involving antibiotics use and teeth with deep probing depths, highlighting variations in referral patterns and treatment accessibility.

Indexed as

EndodonticsEndodontistsGeneral Practice, DentalRoot Canal TherapyAdultAgedCommunity-Based Participatory ResearchDentistsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPractice Patterns, Dentists'Sex FactorsUnited StatesEndodonticsGeneral dentistryPain managementPractice settingsRoot canal treatment

Identifiers

PMID40157709
PMCPMC12643099

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.