A cost-minimization analysis of root canal treatment before and after education in nickel-titanium rotary technique in general practice

Koch M, Tegelberg Å, Eckerlund I, Axelsson S. A cost‐minimization analysis (CMA) of root canal treatment before and after education in nickel–titanium rotary technique in general practice. International Endodontic Journal, 45, 633–641, 2012. Aim To compare root canal treatments performed before and after education in a nickel–titanium rotary technique (NiTiR) with respect to costs for instrumentation and number of instrumentation sessions in a County Public Dental Service in Sweden. Methodology Following education, 77% of the general dental practitioners adopted completely the NiTiR. The randomly selected sample comprised 850 root canal treatments: 425 performed after the education, mainly using the NiTiR‐technique (group A) and 425 performed before, using mainly stainless steel hand instrumentation (SSI) (group B). The number of instrumentation sessions in root canal treatments in group A and B was calculated. A CMA was undertaken on the assumption that treatment outcome was identical in group A and B. Direct costs associated with SSI and NiTiR were estimated and compared. Investment costs required for implementation of NiTiR were calculated, but not included in the CMA. Results Instrumentation sessions were counted in 418 (98%) root canal treatments performed in group A and 419 (99%) in group B. The number of instrumentation sessions in group A was significantly lower; 2.38, compared with 2.82 in group B (P