Retrospective Evaluation of Perforation Repairs in 6 Private Practices

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate retrospectively the clinical outcome of 70 perforation repairs performed by 6 endodontic specialists. Methods: Endodontic specialists performed a total of 70 perforation repairs (69 patients) between 1998 and 2010 using a nonsurgical or combined nonsurgical/surgical approach. Treatments were performed with the aid of a dental operating microscope. Recalls of at least 6 months were obtained on 49 patients (50 teeth). Two calibrated observers evaluated the radiographic results on recalls up to 116 months, with a mean of 37 months. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were evaluated with respect to treatment outcomes and possible prognostic factors. Results: Successful results were obtained in 45 of 50 perforation repairs, a success rate of 90%. Significant prognostic factors included the location of the perforation, sex of the patient, and restorative status of the tooth before perforation repair. The overall success rate of this study was higher than reported in other studies. Conclusions: Perforation repairs can be performed with a high level of success at least in the shortto medium-term.