Endodontic Treatments in Primary Teeth among Brazilian Dental Practitioners: A Preliminary Nationwide Cross-Sectional E-Survey

Objective: To preliminarily evaluate the endodontic treatments in primary teeth carried out by Brazilian dental practitioners. Materials and Methods: A preliminary nationwide cross-sectional e-survey was conducted. The data collection took place from December 2023 to January 2024. The sample consisted of 77 dental practitioners, based on their initial responses to a 32-item self-administered questionnaire that addressed the features of treatments provided in Portuguese. The instrument was made available online, and its link was distributed via messaging apps and social media campaigns. The significance level was set at 5% (α = 0.05), and Pearson's chi-squared test was used to assess associations. Results:Among the respondents, 61% carry out indirect pulp capping, 53.2% carry out direct pulp capping, 40.3% carry out pulpotomy, and 31.2% carry out pulpectomy in primary teeth. Respondents aged up to 35, working in public dental services, and self-assessing their knowledge as 'very good' or 'good' were more likely to provide some endodontic treatment in primary teeth (all p <0.05). Furthermore, 41.6% of the respondents did not rate their knowledge about endodontic treatments in primary teeth as 'very good' or 'good', and 49% of the providers reported referring children in need of endodontic treatments 'frequently' or 'occasionally'. Calcium hydroxide was the most commonly used material for direct or indirect pulp capping (78.7% and 68.1%, respectively) and pulpectomies (54.2%). In pulpotomies, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) was the most frequently used material (45.2%), with its usage similar to that of calcium hydroxide (38.7%). Conclusion: There was notable variability in the characteristics of endodontic treatment providers for primary teeth among Brazilian dental practitioners.