RESUMO
AIM: To evaluate age-specific aspects and changes in volume and content of endodontic treatment for adults visiting private dentists in Finland in 2012 and 2017. METHODOLOGY: This study utilized register-based data of private dental care. The observation unit of the aggregated macro-level data was age group, with 5-year age groups from 20 to 24 years onwards and the oldest group combining all patients aged 90 years and over. Data from years 2012 and 2017 included all the oral health care of 2.04 million patients receiving reimbursement for treatment by private dentists; a total of 183 932 patients received at least one endodontic treatment and were analysed. The number of teeth receiving endodontic treatment was counted separately as pulp cappings, pulpotomies and root canal fillings according to number of canals filled per tooth. Statistical associations were assessed as correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The mean age of endodontic patients was 53.6 years in 2012 and 55.9 years in 2017. In both years, 38% were aged from 50 to 64 years. In 2012, 9.9%, and in 2017, 8.0% of patients received at least one endodontic treatment; the older the patients, the fewer received endodontic treatment (r = -0.9). From 2012 to 2017, numbers of all patients and treatments decreased, endodontic patients and treatments even more notably, and in all age groups. Per thousand patients in 2017, 62.1 teeth received root canal treatment and 14.9 pulp capping. Pulp capping comprised 19.2%, pulpotomies 0.8% and root canal fillings 80.0% of teeth receiving endodontic treatment. Of root filled teeth, 45.1% received filling in one canal, 17.0% in two and 37.9% in three or more canals, multi-canal options being less frequent in older patients (r = -0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Endodontic treatment, received by 9% of adult patients visiting private dentists in Finland, was strongly age-dependent, showing a decreasing trend with age and time.
