Prevalence of Endodontic Perforations Committed by Bulgarian General Dental Practitioners

Abstract—Endodontic perforations that result in a communication of the root space with the periodontal tissues may occur occasionally during root canal treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of iatrogenic perforations committed by Bulgarian general dental practitioners. A total of 2460 cases of endodontic treatment were investigated and the incidence of iatrogenic perforations, committed by general dental practitioners inBulgaria for a period of 7 years was evaluated. Data were collected from clinical examination and observation of the periapical radiographs. In 137 cases of root canal treatment a different types of perforation were found. 100 of them were iatrogenic (4.06%), 34 (1.38%) were the result of carious process and 3 (0.12%) were the result of resorption. In the total number of perforations, the iatrogenic ones represented 72.99%. The most commonly affected tooth groups were mandibular molars (42%) and maxillary molars (22%). 59% of perforations were found in the lower jaw and 41% - in the upper jaw. The prevalence of iatrogenic perforations inBulgaria is relatively high. Therefore, emphasis on continuing education and post graduate courses in endodontics must be a priority.