Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding deep dentinal caries removal before root canal treatment and restoration among practicing dental surgeons

This article aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding Deep Den-tinal Caries Removal before Root Canal Treatment (RCT) and Restoration among practicing dental surgeons. A descriptive cross-sectional study was executed amongst dental surgeons practicing with undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. A Google questionnaire form was developed and distributed, and 111 authentic entries were short-listed. Data obtained from the study were recorded in Microsoft Excel 2007 version, and SPSS version 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Most dental surgeons who participated in the study practiced for over 15-20 years. Among them, 60% believe in removing dentinal caries before RCT; 83.8% be-lieve in completely removing caries before any restoration, of which only 32.4% use caries-disclosing agents to detect caries. 77.5 % of dentists often encounter cases of RCT failure with incomplete caries removal, and 51.8% believe RCT failure could be due to incomplete caries removal; hence, 83.8% of dentists would recommend complete caries removal to their fellow dentists before RCT. Unnecessary planning of operative tooth intervention makes it go through a lifetime of restorative care through the re-restoration cycle, with additional eco-nomic costs with each appointment and an increased chance of premature tooth loss. Diag-nostic aids combining visual and tactile examinations, radiographs, and disclosing agents are reliable diagnostic techniques for deciding on any operative intervention for infected dentine. If caries are excavated before any endodontic treatment, a considerable amount of chair time is reduced during crown preparation, and the longevity of the prosthesis is increased.