(PR012) Analysis of the Referral Reasons and Treatment Modalities for Endodontic Referrals to a University Medical Center in Southern Taiwan

Effective collaboration between general dental practitioners and endodontic specialists ensures high-quality dental care. However, previous research has focused mainly on referral reasons, lacking treatment outcome analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to examine referral reasons and treatment modalities to offer insights into procedures and prognosis for both practitioners. In this retrospective observational cohort study, we analyzed 260 patients and 300 teeth referred for endodontic treatment between January and June 2022 to Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Taiwan. The primary reason for referral, clinical symptoms, treatment procedures, and outcomes were recorded and analyzed. The results showed that "management of persistent symptoms and signs" was the most common reason for referral (58.0%), followed by "canal calcification" (21.0%) and “no definitive diagnosis” (5.4%). Based on the diagnosis of the referred teeth, endodontists devised corresponding treatment plans, including nonsurgical root canal treatment (NSRCT) (58.0%), endodontic surgery (ES) (16.1%), follow-up (12.9%), extraction (6.7%), refer to other departments (3.1%), regenerative endodontic procedures (2.3%), and vital pulp therapy (0.9%). The average treatment duration for NSRCT was 2.9 months. In 77.6% of referred teeth that completed NSRCT, the apical extent of the root filling was within 0-2 mm of the radiographic apex, with 20.8% more than 2 mm short. Among all cases referred to our hospital, the success rate for NSRCT was 95.9% and 96.4% for ES. This study indicates that endodontists require high skill levels to manage diverse treatment procedures. Furthermore, endodontists serve a crucial role in supporting general dentists by collaborating to deliver optimal treatment outcomes for patients.