Abstract

Objective: To assess and compare the prevalence of endodontic mishaps and their management in private and public dental institutes in Punjab.
Methodology: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 8th December 2021 to 1st June 2022 on 255 participants working in operative departments of private and public dental institutes using online questionnaire developed and validated by the authors. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Chi- Square Test was used to compare percentages of categorical variables. P-value less than or equal to 0.05 was taken as significant.
Results: The frequency of errors was highest among the house officers, as 89.4% of the respondents experienced endodontic errors. Over or underextend obturation (75.3%), ledge formation (63.1%), and perforation (53.3%) were the three most frequently reported errorrs. There was significant difference between private and public dental institutes regarding notifying mishap to the patient and regarding presence of a system to report and document procedural errors.
Conclusion: Majority of procedural errors occur due to negligence, inappropriate technique and limited knowledge. Endodontic clinics should have a mechanism in place for recording and reporting procedural errors. Significant number of responders from public institutes chose not to report errors to the patient or the department.

Key words: ADA, dental graduates, endodontic mishap, FDI, procedural errors, public institutes.