Success and failure of endodontic treatment: predictability, complications, challenges and maintenance

The fundamentals of successful endodontic treatment are an awareness of the aetiology of the disease process and an understanding of factors that affect outcome. This paper aims to outline the prognostic factors found in the endodontic outcome literature to facilitate options appraisal and predictable treatment delivery. We will discuss pre-treatment, treatment and post-treatment factors. In summary, the significance of infection control throughout treatment, provision of an adequate coronal seal and appropriate restoration of the root-filled tooth are highlighted.