Radiographic assessments on prevalence and technical quality of endodontically-treated teeth in the Finnish population, aged 30 years and older

Objective. To assess the prevalence and technical quality of endodontic treatment (ET) in Finland by panoramic radiography. Materials and methods. As part of the Finnish nationwide Health 2000 Survey, panoramic radiographs of 5244 dentate subjects, aged 30-95 years, were analyzed. The criterion for a technically adequate ET was a distance from the root filling to the root apex of <= 3 mm. Results. Sixty-one per cent of subjects had one or more teeth with ET. ET was more prevalent in older subjects and among women. Of all teeth (n = 120 250), 7% had had ET, the percentages being greatest for molars and premolars. Technical quality was adequate in 47% of all ET, in 71% of anterior teeth, in 51% of premolars and in 25% of molars. Conclusions. Prevalence and technical quality of endodontic treatment in Finland are comparable to that reported elsewhere, but are still calling for improvement in endodontic treatment, especially regarding molars.