Marie-Chantal Avoaka-Boni^1,, Wendpoulomdé Aimé Désiré Kaboré², Stéphane X Djolé¹, Kouakou Florent Kouadio¹, Koffi TD Kouadio¹

Objective: This study aimed to identify the etiologies of complications linked with the various stages of the operating procedure for endodontic treatment by means of a survey among dentists in the town of Abidjan so as to better understand and prevent such complications. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective and descriptive study. A data collection form was devised for this purpose. The following variables were collected: the type of practice, the number of years in practice, the frequency of root canal treatments performed, the complications encountered and identification of the etiological factors. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 135 dentists. Among them, 65.9% performed up to 10 endodontic treatments per month. The majority (92.7%) stated that they encountered between 1 and 4 cases of complications per month in the course of endodontic treatment. The absence of preoperative radiography was the most often cited reason (64.44%) followed by erroneous diagnoses (14.07%). Conclusion: Altogether, the results show non-adherence to the procedures for performing endodontic treatments, which is the source of most complications. There is an urgent need to realign practitioners with the rules of good practice during endodontic procedures.

root canal treatment, complication, etiologies, dental surgeons of Abidjan