The Preferred Reporting Items for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies in Endodontics (PRIDASE) 2024 guidelines are based on the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) 2015 guidelines and the Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publications (CLIP) principles, with the addition of items specifically related to endodontics. The use of the PRIDASE 2024 guidelines by authors and their application by journals during the peer review process will reduce the possibility of bias and enhance the quality of future diagnostic accuracy studies. The PRIDASE 2024 guidelines consist of a checklist containing 11 domains and 66 individual items. The purpose of the current document is to provide an explanation for each item on the PRIDASE 2024 checklist, along with examples from the literature to help readers understand their importance and offer advice to those developing manuscripts. A link to the PRIDASE 2024 explanation and elaboration document is available on the Preferred Reporting Items for study Designs in Endodontology (PRIDE) website (https://pride-endodonticguidelines.org/pridase/) and on the International Endodontic Journal website (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal/13652591/homepage/pride-guidelines.htm).

Background: Uncertainty is present in many situations in dental practice, but must not prevent wise clinical decision-making. Dental education should acknowledge uncertainty and teach useful management strategies. This study explored if dental students are aware of, and comfortable with uncertainty. The aims were to (i) measure students' comfort or discomfort with and awareness of uncertainty while conducting risk assessment, and (ii) investigate whether a reflection exercise makes the students more aware of, and comfortable with, uncertainty.

Methods: In January 2021, final-year students (n = 51) were randomized to either a structured written reflection exercise (intervention) or to a control exercise. Five months later, in June, each group was assigned the other exercise (cross-over design; ensuring a sufficient sample). Students' statements of uncertainty and comfort were gathered using a developed questionnaire before and after the exercises. The students were blinded to which of the exercises was the intervention. The exercises and questionnaire were administered in mandatory sessions on an internet-based learning platform, ensuring anonymity and informed consent. Potential carryover effects were mitigated by analyzing intervention exercise data from both groups but control exercise data only from the first group.

Results: At baseline 80% (41/51) of the students stated feeling very uncertain, uncertain or neither certain nor uncertain about assessing the risk and 84% were comfortable or very comfortable with their ability to handle the situation, with no between-group differences. The majority, 57% (29/51) of the students stated that they thought an experienced colleague would feel certain or very certain. After the exercise in June, 36% (9/25) of the students exposed to the reflection exercise changed their statements on how certain they felt about their capacity to handle the case.

Conclusions: The exercise did not affect the awareness of uncertainty and the students' comfort with it, as the majority of students stated already feeling comfortable in their ability to handle the situation at baseline. However, the reflection exercise highlighted the students' perception that experience is important in managing uncertainty. There is a need for further research to better understand students' and teachers' perception and attitudes to uncertainty and its effective management.

Objective: To present a list of key points for good Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs) clinical practice on behalf of the International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology (INfORM) group of the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR).

Methods: An open working group discussion was held at the IADR General Session in New Orleans (March 2024), where members of the INfORM group finalized the proposal of a list of 10 key points.

Results: The key points covered knowledge on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. They represent a summary of the current standard of care for management of TMD patients. They are in line with the current need to assist general dental practitioners advance their understanding and prevent inappropriate treatment.

Conclusions: The key points can be viewed as a guiding template for other national and international associations to prepare guidelines and recommendations on management of TMDs adapted to the different cultural, social, educational, and healthcare requirements.

Aim: To assess the status quo of outcome measures used in treatment studies in Endodontics, and potentially identify strategies for improvement, by (i) systematically assessing the outcome measures using a conceptual model and (ii) comparing these with measures used in corresponding studies in the adjacent fields.

Methodology: The International Endodontic Journal, Caries Research, The Journal of Clinical Periodontology and The Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache were selected to cover four adjacent dental disciplines. In each journal, the 50 most recent consecutive publications fulfilling inclusion criteria were included. A hierarchical model for diagnostic imaging studies was modified to assess studies related to treatment. The model comprised six levels, with technical as the lowest level and societal as the highest. Extracted data included study origin, study type, and identified outcome measures. Fisher's Exact Tests with Bonferroni corrections compared studies. p < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Amongst 756 publications, the 200 most recent studies matching the inclusion criteria were identified. Less than half (36.5%) assessed the clinical, patient, or societal aspects of treatment; 10.0% in International Endodontic Journal, 28.0% in Caries Research, 38.0% in Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and 70.0% in Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache (p < .001).

Conclusions: According to included publications, research on treatment within the endodontic field is mainly focusing on technical and biological outcomes. The benefits of patients and society were less frequently examined than in corresponding journals in adjacent disciplines. When designing studies, including higher-level outcomes should be considered.

Artikeln beskriver apikal parodontit med respektive utan systemisk spridning, och hur olika prioriterade åtgärder kan appliceras på ett antal typfall.

To compare pain characteristics, impact of pain and characteristics of patients withpainful root-filled teeth with and without signs of inflammatory dental disease. Thiscross-sectional study was performed in the Public Dental Health services, RegionÖrebro County, Sweden. Adult patients with ≥1 root-filled tooth identified at theirregular check-up were included and assigned to one of two groups; those with ≥1sign of inflammatory dental disease (DD+) and those without any such sign (DD−).Patients/teeth were compared regarding pain characteristics (intensity, frequency,duration, quality and provoking factors), impact of pain (medication intake, impacton life) and patient characteristics as background factors (general health, other bodilyand orofacial pain). Statistics included descriptive data (frequency tables) and groupcomparisons (Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact and Mann-Whitney U-tests). The DD+ groupincluded 27 participants (30 teeth) and the DD− group 22 participants (23 teeth).On average, pain intensity was mild, the frequency most often recurrent, and theimpact was low. Average pain duration since onset exceeded 2 years in both groups.The only observed between-group differences were average pain intensity; 3.1 (0–10Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)) in DD− group compared to 1.6 for DD+ (p = 0.030),and tenderness to apical palpation; only reported in the DD+ group. The similaritiesin clinical presentation between the two groups underscore the difficulties in correctlydistinguishing between pain of odontogenic and non-odontogenic origin in root-filledteeth with a standard clinical investigation. Additional diagnostic methods need to beinvestigated for their ability to differentiate between tooth pain or discomfort of differentorigins

INTRODUCTION: Prospective studies assessing the relation between endodontic inflammatory disease and subsequent cardiovascular events are few. The present aim was to explore associations between endodontic variables and future cardiovascular events in patients with myocardial infarction and matched controls participating in the PAROKRANK (Periodontitis and Its Relation to Coronary Artery Disease) study.

METHODS: Eight-hundred five patients hospitalized for a first myocardial infarction and 805 controls were recruited between 2010 and 2014. Signs of endodontic inflammatory disease were assessed in panoramic radiographs taken at baseline. Mortality and morbidity data during the approximately 8 years of follow up were obtained from national registries. The risk for future cardiovascular events (first of mortality and nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure) was analyzed with the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for the following confounders: sex, age, smoking, myocardial infarction, diabetes, education, marital status, family history of cardiovascular disease, and marginal periodontitis.

RESULTS: In total, 285 future events were observed during the follow-up period. Unadjusted analyses revealed that ≥1 root-filled tooth increased the risk of a future event. After adjustment, the number of remaining teeth and non-root-filled teeth decreased the risk of future events, whereas a higher Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth score increased the risk and ≥1 primary apical periodontitis decreased the risk of suffering cardiovascular events. A higher Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth score and decayed teeth increased the risk of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Tooth loss is a strong indicator of an increased risk for future cardiovascular events. Root-filled teeth seem of limited value as a risk indicator when accounting for other risk factors. The potential effect of dental interventions on future events should be assessed in future research.

Introduction: The aims were to investigate 1) the frequency of nonsurgical retreatment, root-end surgery, extraction, and further restorative treatment during a follow-up of 10 to 11 years after root filling and compare the frequencies according to tooth group and type of coronal restoration, and 2) the timing of nonsurgical retreatment, root-end surgery, and extraction.

Methods: Data were collected from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's register. A search for treatment codes identified teeth root filled in 2009 and the type of coronal restoration (direct, indirect, unspecified) registered within 6 months of root filling. The root-filled teeth were followed 10-11 years, and further interventions were recorded. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results: In 2009, root fillings were registered for 215,611 individuals/teeth. Nonsurgical retreatment, root-end surgery, and extraction were undertaken in 3.5%, 1.4%, and 20% teeth, respectively. The frequency of further interventions varied with respect to tooth group and type of coronal restoration, but only slightly for endodontic retreatments. Further interventions, except for root-end surgery, were registered more often for molars and directly restored teeth (P < 0.001). The majority of endodontic retreatments were undertaken within 4 years, while extractions were evenly distributed over 10-11 years.

Conclusions: The frequency numbers of nonsurgical retreatment and root-end surgery were low, despite one in five root-filled teeth registered as extracted. Further interventions were most common in molars and directly restored teeth. Endodontic retreatments were performed more often during the first 4 years.

Objectives: To analyze the accumulated fees connected with root filling, permanent coronal restoration and follow-on treatment charged by Swedish dentists over a 10-11-year follow-up period. Furthermore, analyzing these fees with reference to the type of restoration, tooth group, and the root-filled teeth which survived compared to those requiring extraction.

Material and methods: In 2009, the data register of the Swedish Social Insurance Agency recorded a total of 215,611 teeth as root-filled. The accumulated fees for each tooth encompassed the following interventions: initial root filling, coronal restorations, and follow-up treatments during the designated period. The outcomes were analyzed using descriptive and analytic statistics, including t tests and one-way analysis of variance. The fees are presented in Euros (€1 = SEK 8.94).

Results: The total accumulated fees for root fillings amounted to 72 million Euros: the mean fee per root filled tooth was €333.6. The total mean fee over a 10-11-year period, comprising root canal treatment, coronal restorations, and any follow-up treatments, was €923.4. Root-filled teeth with indirect restorations presented a higher mean fee (€1 279.3) compared to those with direct restorations (€829.4) or those without specified restorations (€832.7; p < .001). Moreover, molars presented a significantly higher mean fee (€966.4) compared to premolars (€882.8) and anterior teeth (€891.3; p < .001). Lastly, the mean fee for extracted teeth was €1225.3, which was higher compared to those who survived the follow-up period (€848.0; p < .001).

Conclusions: Fees charged by general dental practitioners for root-filled teeth accumulate over time, probably due to the need for further treatment of the tooth. The total mean fee was significantly higher for molars and root-filled teeth with indirect restorations. However, an analysis of the total costs would require prospective clinical cost-effectiveness studies.

Aim: To investigate what happens to cross-sectionally identified root-filled teeth over a 6-year period, regardless of the time that elapsed since primary root canal treatment, in a cohort of adult patients regularly attending a Public Dental Service. A secondary aim was to investigate how the cumulative events affecting root-filled teeth over the same time were associated with variables obtained from a baseline examination.

Methodology: Adult patients with ≥1 previously root-filled tooth and regularly attending the Public Dental Service in Örebro County were enrolled for study participation in 2015. General dental practitioners examined all identified root-filled teeth in this cohort at baseline using a standardized protocol and were also responsible for further decision-making and treatments. After six years, information on events of the root-filled teeth was collected from dental records. The highest rating (most invasive treatment) on a 5-point ordinal scale was used in the analyses. Regression analyses with stepwise selection were performed for associations between patient- and tooth-related factors and events.

Results: A total of 445 patients with 1007 root-filled teeth were followed the entire observation time. Twenty (2.0%) of the root-filled teeth had endodontic retreatment and 150 (14.9%) were extracted over six years. Among teeth with periapical radiolucency or pain, the majority did not undergo retreatment or extraction; however, the multivariate analysis demonstrated that retreatment or extraction was associated with baseline recordings of teeth with periapical radiolucency (p < .0001), tenderness to percussion (p < .0001), and poor coronal restoration (p < .0001).

Conclusions: This study corroborates the notion that in general dentistry, root-filled teeth with radiological signs of apical disease often remain untreated over time. Furthermore, it also reveals that root-filled teeth presenting with mild pain do not necessarily receive any intervention. However, teeth with baseline signs of apical periodontitis, pain, or inadequate coronal restoration were more likely to have received intervention during the six-year period.