Peer-reviewed JOURNAL OF THE IRISH DENTAL ASSOCIATION February/March 2012 162 : VOLUME 58 (1) Introduction The aim of root canal treatment is to chemo- mechanically clean and obturate the root canal system to prevent or cure apical periodontitis. 6 Root canal treatment is indicated if the pulp has irreversible disease or is necrotic. It is essential to take appropriate radiographs before, during and after the procedure. Every practitioner is required to retain a record of the completed treatment in the form of a postoperative radiograph. The technical standard of root canal treatment has been demonstrated to be closely related to success 2 and a ‘proxy’ assessment of technical success is the postoperative radiograph of the completed root canal treatment. 7 Technical guidelines related to preparation and obturation Mohit Kumar Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Great Western Hospital Marlborough Road Swindon United Kingdom Henry F Duncan Lecturer and Consultant in Endodontics Division of Restorative Dentistry and Periodontology Dublin Dental University Hospital Trinity College Dublin Lincoln Place Dublin Ireland Address for correspondence Henry F Duncan Dublin Dental University Hospital T: 01-612 7356 E: Hal.Duncan@dental.tcd.ie Radiographic evaluation of the technical quality of undergraduate endodontic ‘competence’ cases in the Dublin Dental University Hospital: an audit Précis: An audit examining the technical quality of undergraduate endodontic ‘competence’ cases in the Dublin Dental University Hospital revealed favourable results compared to benchmark studies, but identified areas for improving quality. Abstract Purpose: The aim of this audit was to evaluate the technical quality of undergraduate de novo endodontic competence cases in the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH) compared to European standards. 1,2 Materials and methods: A radiographic analysis of the number of canals in student ‘competence’ cases (completed 2009-2010) that met the accepted technical criteria for an ideal root canal treatment was carried out. The benchmark was formulated using accepted European guidelines. Several technical factors were analysed including the apical extent of obturation (within 2mm of radiographic apex), the presence of voids, technical errors and the presence of untreated roots. One hundred and nineteen root canals were initially selected in 78 teeth; however, five teeth were excluded from analysis as the postoperative radiograph was either missing or not diagnostic. Results: Single-rooted teeth demonstrated voids in 36% of root fillings, and 69% were filled to within 2mm of the apex and there were no detectable technical deficiencies. Multi-rooted teeth demonstrated voids in 38% of root fillings; 60% were filled to within 2mm and 94% of canals demonstrated no deviation from the original canal. Combined results demonstrated that 49% of all the single-rooted teeth and 17% of all the multi-rooted teeth were acceptable within the technical parameters identified in the guidelines. Conclusions: Analysis of individual technical criteria revealed areas in which the quality was acceptable and others in which it could be improved. Although the overall results appeared poor, they were similar to previous studies of the technical quality of undergraduate root canal treatment. 2-5 Journal of the Irish Dental Association 2012; 58 (3): 162-166.