Factors Affecting Patient Decision-Making for Crown Placement After Root Canal Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To determine the frequency of crown placement after root canal treatment and the factors influencing patients’ decisions to receive a crown Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Saidu College of Dentistry, Swat, on 262 patients who had undergone root canal treatment. Data were collected using a combined approach involving the review of clinical records and face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire in patients who had root canal–treated teeth. Chi-square/Fisher exact tests were run to assess the association between factors and the decision to receive a crown. Results: The mean age was 46.3 years (SD 16.7) with half males. Only 61 patients (23.3%) received a crown after root canal treatment. There were no significant associations between gender or tooth location and reasons for not receiving a crown. The most common reason for not receiving crowns were lack of awareness (n = 57, 21.8%) and financial limitations (n = 39, 14.9%) followed by lack of time (n = 36, 13.7%), lack of interest (n = 30, 11.5%), lack of facility (n = 26, 9.9%), and previous bad experience (n = 13, 5.0%). Males were willing to receive crown than females (p = 0.003). Conclusion: about one quarter of patients received a crown after root canal treatment. The most common reasons for not receiving a crown were lack of awareness and financial limitations. Males were more willing than females to receive a crown. Keywords: Crown placement, Endodontic treatment, Factors, Prosthetic restoration