Objective: This study aimed to assess the proportions of complicated endodontic cases treated by undergraduate dental students in a University clinic now and in the past.
Material and methods: Data were obtained from the electronic records and previous publications from the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Norway. The operators were dental undergraduate students in their final 2 years of training. Proportions of tooth types, diagnosis, and retreatments were studied.
Results: The amount of endodontically treated molars increased from 18% in 1971% to 44% in 2019. The number of teeth with preoperative apical periodontitis increased from 31% to 46%, and retreatments from 9% to 15%. The changes were highly significant, with the greatest change occurring from 1984 to 2009.
Conclusion: Undergraduate students are exposed to more complicated teeth now than 50 years ago.
Keywords: apical periodontitis; dental education; endodontic treatment; endodontics; molars.
© 2024 The Author(s). Clinical and Experimental Dental Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.