Improving the quality of randomized trials in Endodontics

Clinical decision making of post-treatment disease

Root-filled teeth presenting with signs of post-treatment disease is a common finding in virtually every dental practice. There is both empirical and experimental evidence that, as long as the condition is asymptomatic, it is often left untreated. Professional judgements and decision making in endodontics as in any medical discipline are based on qualified estimations of the probability and the value of relevant outcomes. In this paper we describe various aspects of clinical decision making in general, from a descriptive as well as a normative point of view, but with a particular focus on the condition of the root-filled tooth with post-treatment disease. We review how attention to various types of uncertainties are relevant for the decision-making process. Additionally, we discuss the nature of value judgements and different concepts of health and disease which are important for understanding the complexity of the clinical decision-making process. We also refer to a set of principal rules that can guide the clinician's decision making in every-day practice in front of a case with endodontic post-treatment disease. Finally, we provide some aspects on the sometime cumbersome decision whether to go for a non-surgical or surgical method, whenever a decision on retreatment has been made.

Health economic evaluation of endodontic therapies

Healthcare is an expensive endeavour, and it is likely that costs for endodontic treatment will grow over the next decade. The assessment of costs and, in most cases, health outcomes, and the comparison of the cost-health ratio of interventions, is at the heart of health economics. The present review aims to introduce the main concepts of health economic analysis, to systematically review the existing economic endodontic literature, and to deduce further action for the community. Overall, the identified body of evidence on the health economics of endodontic therapies is heterogenous and has several limitations: Not all studies identified robust data to inform their analyses and many relied on a wide range of assumptions, which were only explored for their impact in a limited way. However, a number of themes were identified from the review: (1) Maintaining pulpal vitality is preferable over root canal treatment if possible when it comes to cost-effectiveness. (2) Retaining teeth is usually more cost-effective than removing and replacing them. (3) Endodontic retreatment may be clinically indicated, but not always cost-effective, and should hence be considered carefully. In conclusion, the general sparsity of economic analyses is a concern, as decision makers such as commissioners or those funding dental care increasingly rely on them. The endodontic community is called to action to improve the competency of both researchers to conduct such analyses and consider them when planning research, but also clinicians who should factor in health economics when assigning interventions. Health economics should become an accepted pillar of endodontic research.

Present status and future directions - Vital pulp treatment and pulp preservation strategies

Therapeutic strategies focussed on the pulp preservation, are important when managing vital teeth with deep caries and an exposed pulp. These vital pulp treatments (VPTs); however, are not new, with indirect and direct pulp capping procedures being described as a therapy for carious teeth for over a century. As a result of unpredictable outcomes, the traditional indications for VPT particularly when the pulp was exposed were limited to the treatment of immature teeth with incomplete root formation. Over the last 20 years, the advent of regenerative endodontics and the promotion of biologically based therapies aimed at reducing intervention have reinvigorated VPT with new waves of basic science and clinical research indicating a role for VPT not only in mature cariously affected teeth, but also in teeth with signs and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis. Driven by new materials such as hydraulic calcium silicate cements, a better understanding of pulpal immunity and biology as well and improved tissue handling, VPT has been at the forefront of treatment recommendations made by global Cariology and Endodontic organizations. Care must be exercised, however, as key gaps in scientific knowledge remain alongside severe limitations in educational dissemination amongst dentists. Although research has highlighted that carious injury to the dentine–pulp complex stimulates a wide range of responses and that the interaction between infection, inflammation and repair will eventually impact on the outcome of pulpitis, our ability to accurately and objectively diagnose the true inflammatory state of the pulp remains poor. An overreliance on symptoms leaves clinicians with subjective, crude diagnostic tools by which to inform treatment planning and decision‐making, which results in large variations in the treatments offered to patients. Not only is there an urgent need to develop preoperative and intraoperative diagnostic tools, but there is also a paucity of the high‐quality comparative evidence required to answer the most important questions and justify treatment options. The aim of this review was to consider the current status of VPT and to discuss the principle problems that are hindering clinical acceptance of these techniques. Potential solutions and opportunities are offered to suggest ways that VPT may become a more consistently prescribed evidenced‐based treatment in dental practice.

Effect of premedication on postoperative pain after root canal therapy in patients with irreversible pulpitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review aimed to assess the effect of premedication on postoperative pain after root canal treatment in vital teeth. Five electronic databases were searched for randomized clinical trials, and two independent reviewers selected eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed the quality of studies using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effects model, and the pooled effect estimate of the standardized mean difference (SMD) between premedication and placebo was calculated. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on the class and route of the drug. Studies with a high risk of bias were excluded from the sensitivity analysis. Ten trials satisfied the inclusion criteria, of which eight were included in the meta-analysis. Premedication was more effective in reducing postoperative pain than placebo at 6 hours (SMD = −1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.33 to −0.66), 12 hours (SMD = −0.80; 95% CI = −1.05 to −0.56), and 24 hours (SMD = −0.72; 95% CI = −1.02 to −0.43). The results of the sensitivity analysis confirmed the findings of the primary analysis. Based on these results, it can be concluded that premedication is effective in reducing postoperative pain in teeth with irreversible pulpitis. However, additional quality studies are required for further validation.

Glossary for randomized clinical trials

Randomized clinical trials are positioned at the highest level of primary clinical evidence, as they are designed to be unbiased with a reduced risk of systematic error. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement was first developed in 1996 to improve the reporting quality of randomized clinical trials with updates being published subsequently. Recently, the Preferred Reporting Items for RAndomized Trials in Endodontics (PRIRATE) 2020 guidelines were developed exclusively for the field of Endodontics to address the suboptimal quality of randomized clinical trials submitted to Endodontic journals, which result in many being rejected. A principal flaw in submissions is the fact that many authors are unclear on the keys terms that should be used when developing manuscripts for publication. Clearly, authors should be aware of the most common terms used when conducting and reporting randomized clinical trials. Hence, the aim of the current paper is to present a comprehensive glossary of the terminology used in randomized clinical trials in order to assist authors when designing, executing and writing-up randomized clinical trials.