Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42551707›Full record

ArticleJournal of dentistry2026

Patient, tooth, and dentist characteristics associated with multi-visit nonsurgical root canal treatment: findings from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

Rahma Mungia, Ellen Funkhouser, Alan S Law, Donald R Nixdorf, Stanley H Asensio Ll, Grace T Chu, Gregg H Gilbert

Erratum issuedAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of dentistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Rahma MungiaDepartment of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 8403 Floyd Curl Drive; MC 8258; Suite 300.29, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA. Electronic address: mungia@uthscsa.edu.
Ellen FunkhouserDivision of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1717 11th Avenue South, 611 MT, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. Electronic address: emfunk@uab.edu.
Alan S LawChief Clinical Officer, Specialty Practices, 2200 County Rd. C, West, Roseville, MN 55113, USA; Division of Endodontics, University of Minnesota, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: alaw@thedentalspecialists.com.
Donald R NixdorfDivision of TMD and Orofacial Pain, University of Minnesota, 6-320 Moos Tower, 515 Delaware Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Electronic address: nixdorf@umn.edu.
Stanley H Asensio LlPrivate Practice Owner GP, 2144 Whisper Lakes Blvd, Orlando, FL 32837, USA.
Grace T ChuPrivate Practice Limited to Endodontics, 6009 Beltline Rd Ste 140, Dallas, TX 75254, USA. Electronic address: drchu@pulpcheck.com.
Gregg 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, USA. Electronic address: ghg@uab.edu.

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

backgroundIdentifying factors linked to multi-visit nonsurgical root canal treatment (RCT) may help distinguish cases that warrant staging from those suitable for single-visit treatment. This study examined patient-, tooth-, and dentist-level characteristics associated with multi-visit RCT.

methodsData were analyzed from 1723 patients enrolled in the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network study. The primary outcome was completion of RCT in more than one visit. Patient demographics, preoperative symptoms, clinical and tooth characteristics, procedural difficulty, and dentist factors were evaluated for their association with multi-visit RCT completion using multivariable generalized estimating equation models accounting for clustering of patients within dentists.

resultsOverall, 316 patients (18%) received more than one visit. In the final adjusted model, multi-visit RCT was independently associated with academic or public practices (OR= 2.98; p=.03 ) in the Northeast region (OR=2.59; p=.02). Patient-level factors included Asian or Hispanic race/ethnicity (OR=1.68; p=.02) and severe preoperative tooth pain (OR=1.66; p=.002). Tooth-level characteristics associated with multi-visit treatment included molar tooth type (OR=2.08; p<.001), mandibular location (OR=1.37; p=.02), presence of swelling (OR=1.60; p=.04), and tooth movement (OR=1.59; p=.048). Characteristics inversely associated with multi-visit treatment were the tooth being vital (OR=0.48; p<.001) and being tender to biting pressure (OR=0.73; p=.04).

conclusionsMulti-visit RCT reflects clinical complexity, symptom severity, dentist and patient factors, supporting case-based rather than routine treatment decisions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Recognizing the clinical factors associated with multi-visit RCT may help dentists distinguish cases that truly warrant staging from those appropriate for single-visit treatment, promoting more consistent evidence-informed care.

Indexed as

DentistsOffice VisitsRoot Canal TherapyAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPractice Patterns, Dentists'United StatesDecision making, clinicalDisease complexityHealth services researchOral health servicesPain, preoperativePractice-based researchPractice patterns, dentists’Treatment planning

Identifiers

PMID42551707
PMCPMC13552483

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.