Citation: Ifeoma Nkiruka Menakaya & Adolphus Odogun Loto (2022). An Update on Demand and Pattern of Root Canal Treatments in a Clinical Setting in Lagos, Nigeria. Saudi J Oral Dent Res, 7(6): 169-174. 169 Saudi Journal of Oral and Dental Research Abbreviated Key Title: Saudi J Oral Dent Res ISSN 2518-1300 (Print) | ISSN 2518-1297 (Online) Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com Original Research Article Restorative Dentistry An Update on Demand and Pattern of Root Canal Treatments in a Clinical Setting in Lagos, Nigeria Ifeoma Nkiruka Menakaya 1* , Adolphus Odogun Loto 2 1 Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria 2 Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Ondo State University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Nigeria DOI: 10.36348/sjodr.2022.v07i06.005 | Received: 26.05.2022 | Accepted: 18.06.2022 | Published: 29.06.2022 *Corresponding author: Menakaya Ifeoma Nkiruka Department of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria Abstract There have been a growing number of patients demanding root canal treatment to save their teeth. This study aimed to determine the pattern of demand and treatment need for root canal treatments at a tertiary healthcare facility in Lagos, Nigeria and update the dental literature with the demand and pattern of root canal treatments as seen in Nigeria. This was a retrospective study. Data from 8239 patients treated at restorative dental clinic, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital from 2011 through 2014, were reviewed. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 26. Association between categorical variables was assessed using Chi square test. Significance level was set at p<0.05. Nine hundred (900) patients age 18 to 79 years (Mean ± SD 38.95±9.4) of which 542 (60.2%) were male and 358 (39.8%) female received root canal treatment involving 1256 teeth. More male patients demanded for root canal treatment but treatment need was greater in female patients and increased with age. Demand for root canal treatment was more prevalent in those < 40 years of age. Central incisors were the most frequently root filled teeth in the maxilla and this was statistically significant (p=0.002). In the mandible, first molars were the most frequently root filled teeth however, this was not statistically significant (p=0.093). Findings in this study corroborate those of several other studies in Nigeria. However, unlike other Nigerian studies, this study noted a greater need for root canal treatment in female patients compared to male patients. Keywords: Root canal treatment, demand, pattern, clinical setting, Nigeria. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION The main goal of endodontic treatment is to save a tooth suffering from pulp diseases and their sequelae, from being extracted (Wigsten E et al., 2020; Osadolor O et al., 2019). Endodontic services include: pulpotomy, pulp capping, conventional root canal treatment, apicectomy, repair of root perforation, implantation, re-implantation, hemisection, root amputation and endodontic endo-osseous implant. The frequency of demand for endodontic services is influenced by several factors such as availability of dental facilities, cost of production of endodontic services, clinical fees for endodontic procedures, skill of dental practitioners, level of awareness of dental patients and other related factors (Agholor C et al., 2018). In the past, the frequency of demand for root canal treatment had been low, but in recent years there has been steady increase in the number of patients who demanded to save their teeth utilizing root canal treatment (Agholor C et al 2018; Enabulele J et al 2021). This increase has been attributed to various reasons such as dental care awareness and education, better instrumentation, improved expertise of the dentists and endodontists through further advanced training and updates, improved dental facilities as well as cost effectiveness as opposed to extraction of a tooth and subsequent replacement with implant or a fixed partial denture (Enabulele J et al., 2021). The demand pattern for endodontic services has always been a subject of local and international studies (Osadolor O et al., 2019; Enabulele J et al., 2021; Oglah F et al., 2011; Scavo R et al., 2011). Some studies have shown that anterior teeth are the most frequently root-filled teeth compared to posterior teeth (Enabulele J et al., 2021; Oginni A et al., 1999). However, there were studies which reported that posterior teeth were the most frequently endodontically treated teeth (Umesi D et al.,