Study of Endodontists’ Opinions In Connection With the Promotion of Apical Surgery Learning in the Endodontic Pre-Clinic and Clinic of Mashhad Dental School

This study aimed to assess the opinions of specialists in endodontic treatment at Mashhad Dental School, Mashhad, Iran, in connection with teaching apical surgery in the endodontic pre-clinic and clinic of Mashhad Dental School.

This study was descriptive and cross-sectional and the statistical population included all residents and faculty members of the School of Dentistry of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and a number of privet specialists. Inclusion criteria for this study were the last year's residency or membership in the faculty of endodontics or a graduate of this course. The exclusion criterion was a failure to complete the questionnaire or lack of consent to publish its results. The questionnaire was designed electronically and was informed by channels and groups on social networks, as well as SMS and email. The groups studied in this study included entries before 2011, entries from 2011 to 2016, and entries from 2016 onwards.

In this study, 61 patients (31 females, 30 males) with an average age of 41.48±11.42 years participated. Twenty (32.8%) individuals stated that they had received the necessary training in apical surgery during the residency period, and 6 (9.8%) subjects claimed that they had received the necessary preparation for apical surgery in the pre-clinic. According to 23% of the subjects, training in periapical surgery in the pre-clinic was good, but not enough. There was a significant difference between the graduates before and after 2011 in obtaining the necessary training and preparation for apical surgery. Moreover, the graduates of 2016 and 2021 had higher self-confidence.

Apical surgery training in the pre-clinic of the School of Dentistry significantly prepared the graduates of 2016-2021.