Common Temporization of Access Cavity and Pulp Spacers Practiced by Endodontists in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Temporary restorations are necessary for preventing coronal leakage during and after treatment completion and must provide an effective barrier against salivary contamination of the root canal system. Endodontic spacers also help remove temporary restoration by avoiding the chances of unwanted intact tooth structure loss and perforation on the floor of the pulp chamber and prevent temporary restorative materials entrapment into the root canals resulting in canal blockage. However, the cotton pellet placed between the temporary and the root canal orifice can compromise the coronal seal by the reduction in thickness of temporary restoration.

The primary aim of this investigation was to determine the most common temporary restoration used during and after endodontic treatment. The secondary aim is to know the percent preference for restorations with double seal and the frequency of spacer used.

Four hundred fifty online questionnaires comprising 15 (four demographic questions and eleven questions related to the study objective) were sent to endodontists in Saudi Arabia via WhatsApp and Twitter. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05 when assessed using a chi-square test.

About 370 (82.22%) participants completed the survey. Glass ionomer cement (GIC) was most used as a temporary restoration among endodontists for both the anterior (53%) and posterior teeth (49.7%; P=0.001). In double seal, Cavit was most used as the temporary restoration, which was placed below the seal exposed orally 56.2% (P=0.001). GIC was most used as coronal seal material placed over Cavit in 71.9% of the participants (P=0.001). About 56.2% of the endodontists placed cotton pellets between visits but not after obturation (P=0.001). Polytetrafluoroethylene tape instead of cotton pellet was preferred by 30.3% of the participants (P=0.001).

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) was most used as a temporary restoration. In double seal, GIC was most used as coronal seal material placed over Cavit. A pulp spacer was found to be the most commonly used between visits but not after obturation.