A survey of dental residents' expectations for regenerative endodontics.

INTRODUCTION: The objective was to survey a group of dental residents regarding their expectations for using regenerative endodontic procedures as part of future dental treatments.

METHODS: After institutional review board approval, the opinions of 32 dentists who were having postgraduate residency training to become specialists in a dental school were surveyed. The survey had 40 questions about professional status, ethical beliefs, judgment, and clinical practice.

RESULTS: It was found that 83.9% of dentists had no continuing education or training in stem cells or regenerative endodontic procedures. Results showed that 96.8% of dentists are willing to receive training to be able to provide regenerative endodontic procedures for their patients. Of the total group, 49.1% of dentists already use membranes, scaffolds, or bioactive materials to provide dental treatment. It was determined that 47.3% of dentists agree that the costs of regenerative procedures should be comparable with current treatments. It was also found that 55.1% of dentists were unsure whether regenerative procedures would be successful.

CONCLUSIONS: Dentists are supportive of using regenerative endodontic procedures in their dental practice, and they are willing to undergo extra training and to buy new technology to provide new procedures. Nevertheless, dentists also need more evidence for the effectiveness and safety of regenerative treatments before they will be recommended for most patients.