Requirements, in terms of root canal treatment, of undergraduates in the European Union: an audit of teaching practice.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to gather information from across the EU about requirements of dental undergraduates in the area of root canal treatment (RCT).

Methodology: One hundred and ninety-two EU dental schools were invited to complete an online survey. The survey inquired about assessment in RCT, whether students complete a minimum number of RCTs, whether this includes both anterior and posterior teeth, and if root canal retreatment and endodontic surgery are compulsory. The final question asked how competence in RCT can be described.

Results: Forty-eight dental schools in 20 countries responded. Results showed variation in assessment methods. Ninety-four percent insist on students performing RCT in anterior and posterior teeth. Eighty-one percent ensure students perform a minimum number and there is considerable variation in what that minimum number is. Seventy-nine percent require undergraduates to perform retreatment and 4% require them to perform endodontic surgery. Descriptions of what might constitute competence in RCT varied greatly.

Conclusions: Despite convergence of the undergraduate curriculum being endorsed by many and movement of dentists within the EU escalating, there is still inconsistency in the output of dental schools with regard to RCT. This sample demonstrated deviation from the ESE's 2001 Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines for Endodontology.