Quality of Life of Endodo Implant Treated Patients Qualitative Research Stu

sto treatment modality and assist the clinician and patient inadequate coronal restoration (14–16). These risk factors need to be taken into Clinical ResearchCopyright ª 2011 American Association of Endodontists.in the selection of an optimal treatment for their given consideration when treatment planning for either treatment. Several outcome studies have investigated both implant and endodontic therapy. Retrospective, meta-analysis, and systematic review studies have all shown similarly high success rates between the two treatment types (6, 17, 18). However, it is difficult to compare the two because studies vary considerably in design, success definition, assessment methods, operator type, and sample size (18). Outcomes of root canal treatment are usually assessed by stringent criteria including complete heal-ing of periapical disease and clinical function without signs or symptoms. A tooth that has incomplete radiographic healing at the time of re-evaluation would not be considered a success by this definition, even if it was asymptomatic and fully functiona