Adoption of rotary instrumentation among general practitioners in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

In contemporary dentistry, nickel–titanium (NiTi) rotary instrumentation is the standard of care. General dental practitioners (GDPs) should acquire and adopt rotary root canal instrumentation in their practices. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the application of rotary root canal instrumentation among GDPs in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia. An online survey was sent to GDPs registered in the Qassim region through the Saudi Dental Society contact list. It consisted of 15 questions about gender, demographics, sector, and the extent of rotary root canal instrumentation adoption in their daily practices. The Chi-square test was used to compare the frequency responses between the groups. Fisher’s exact test was used when the expected outcome was <5. Of the 153 GDPs contacted, 81 completed the online survey. Of the 81 participants, 71.6% performed root canal treatment in their daily practice, whereas only 51.9% reported using NiTi rotary instrumentation. NiTi rotary instrumentation was adopted significantly more frequently by GDPs who graduated from non-Saudi schools, worked in the private sector, and had more than 10 years of experience. The lack of required equipment was the most commonly reported reason for not adopting NiTi rotary instrumentation. Most participants were interested in receiving training in NiTi rotary instrumentation. Almost half of the GDPs in the Qassim region did not use rotary files in their practices. Lack of undergraduate training and unavailability of equipment were the most commonly reported factors for not adopting rotary instrumentation. There was a significant interest in receiving additional training on NiTi rotary instrumentation.