Table 1 shows the distribution of patients according to age. Of the total cohort of 236, 146 were females (61.9%) and 90 were males (38.1%). The age of patients ranged from 15 to 76 years, with mean age of women being 40.9 _ 0.99 (SE) and of men 43.3 _1.27.
Table 2 demonstrates the distribution of root-filled teeth according to age. The greatest percentages of teeth (37.9%) were in subjects between the ages of 40- 49 years.
Table 3 shows the distribution of teeth with pulpotomies according to age; again the greatest number of teeth was observed in the group of 40-49-year-old patients.
The percentages of teeth with adequate and inadequate root canal treatments are presented in Table 4. Amongst the root canal-treated teeth, nearly half (48.9%) were filled according to accepted endodontic guidelines.
Table 5 shows the relationship between the presence/ absence of periapical radiolucencies and the apical level of the root fillings. Adequately filled teeth, amongst the teeth without radiolucency, constituted 59.2% and amongst the teeth with radiolucency constituted 17.4%. This difference was statistically significant P < 0.00005. However, inadequately filled teeth (>2 mm short of the radiographic apex) amongst the teeth without radiolucency constituted 26.3% and amongst the teeth with radiolucency constituted 78.2%. This difference was statistically significant P < 0.0005.
Amongst the teeth filled 0-2 mm short of the radiographic apex, 91.3% did not have periapical pathosis; amongst the teeth in which the root canal fillings extruded beyond the apex, 91.2%did not show periapical radiolucencies (Table 5).
Table 6 demonstrates the results of root canal treatment in relation to the time that elapsed since the completion of therapy. The percentage of teeth with adequately filled root canals that did not exhibit periapical radiolucencies did not increase with time (P = 0.20). In teeth with inadequately filled root canals, the percentage of teeth with periapical pathosis did not increase (P = 0.85).
Percentages of teeth with pulpotomy and presence/ absence of periapical radiolucencies are shown in Table 7. Approximately 67% of teeth with pulpotomy had periapical pathosis. In the group of teeth with pulpotomy, no relationship between presence/absence of periapical radiolucencies and time that had elapsed since the completion of treatment was observed (P = 0.50).
Figure 1 show the results of root canal treatment in relation to the environment where the procedure was performed. The greatest numbers of teeth (64.0%) were adequately filled at the Dental School, the Institute of Dentistry and in the private sector (53.3%). The poorest results were seen in the dental outpatients’ departments (National Dental Health Care System), with 71.4%inadequately treated teeth. These distributions were statistically different (P = 0.029).

Table 1. Distribution of patients examined according to age.



Table 2. Distribution of teeth with root canal treatment according to age.



Table 3. Distribution of teeth with pulpotomy according to age.



Table 4. Percentages of teeth with adequate and inadequate root canal treatment.



Table 5. Relationship between presence/absence of periapical radiolucencies and the apical level of the root canal fillings.



Table 6. Results of the root canal treatment in relation to time which has passed since completion of the therapy.



Table 7. Percentages of teeth with pulpotomy and presence/absence of periapical radiolucencies in relation to time which has passed since completion of the therapy.



Figure 1. Percentages of root canal-treated teeth with adequate and inadequate fillings in relation to the environment where the procedure has been performed.