Frequently Asked Question

To complete the canals targets you must complete enough RCTs at or above the target grade with enough canals to equal the target. (NB the canals count does not factor in if the RCT was complex or simple. It simply counts the number of canals for each tooth.)

For purposes of counting the number of canals per tooth the Portfolio uses the following values as provided by clinical tutors in Restorative Dentistry, based on the classical anatomical numbers for each tooth:

• 16 and 26: Technically these are considered to have 4 canals but the 4th is rarely found by students on clinic so counted as 3 for targets
• 18 and 28: "mostly" have 3 canals - so assumed to be 3 for targets
• 31 and 41: 40% have 2 but the 2nd is hard to find and rarely done well so is counted as 1
• 36 and 46: 4 quite clear in 25% of cases - but mostly 3, so counted as 3 for targets
• 38 and 48: Very variable - 1 is common but can be counted as 3 because access is so hard!

As you can see, depending on how many canals you actually find, there will be winners and losers with this approach, but if you find you are treating a tooth with more/less than the number of canals stated above, you should you record this fact in the description or reflection for the obturation step. This way if you end up just below the target, your tutors can investigate your cases in more detail and, from your description, see that you have treated more canals than it first appears.

The canals targets are designed to be achievable so most students should exceed the minimum number without any problems. Deeper investigation by tutors in to individual treatments should only be necessary on a small number of borderline cases.