The purpose of This study was to evaluate the relative value system of routine endodontic services. Endodontic treatment time of 164 teeth(table 2) were measured with stop watch by 13 residents in the Department of Conservative Dentistry of Seoul
National University Dental Hospital from November 1st, 1992 to February 15th, 1993. Table 4-1 shows the median endodontic treatment time. Thereafter questionnaires about the complexity of the endodontic services(table 3) were sent to 106dentists
who
have finished the resident course for endodontist or endodontic graduate course, or who were in those courses. 38 dentists(36%) replied. The replications sere analysed and the median relative complexity value indices of endodontic services were
obtained.(table 18-1) Each complexity of endodontic service was graded from 1 to 10 by difficulty.
Each complexity-time value index was obtained from the median relative complexity value index multiplied by the median endodontic treatment time. The relative value index was calculated from the complexity-time value index by setting the lowest
complexity-time value index as 1(table 19).
@ES The results were as follows:
@EN 1. Endodontic services were complex, time-consuming and material-consuming, so the fee should be estimated from the relative value system with adding the material cost.
2. The mean time of endodontic treatment per an appointment was 33.42 minutes which was almost twice as much as that of lower first molar occlusal amalgam treatment(15.00 minutes) or lower first molar pulpotomy(14.25 minutes).
3. The relative value index of the lower first molar pulpotomy was 4.28, that of lower first molar occlusal amalgam treatment was 6, that of the canal preparation of the one canal tooth was 12, that of the canal preparation of the c-shape canal
tooth
was 62.5, that of the canal filling of the one canal tooth was 12.5 and that of the canal filling of the 4 canal tooth was 39.
4. The complexity and relative value index of four canal teeth was higher than that of three canal teeth remarkably, so 4 canal teeth should be distinguished from 3 canal teeth when the fee decision will be made.
5. The complexity of upper second molar was 3-6 times as much as that of upper first molar.
6. The complexity index of lower first molar pulpotomy(3) was not more than all the complexity indices of endodontic services except access cavity preparation of one canal anterior teeth and one canal lower premolar.
7. 12.61 paper points were used for one canal tooth, 33.27 paper points cones were used for 4 canal tooth, 9.80 gutta percaha cones were used for one canal tooth and 24.18 gutta percha cones were used for 4 canal tooth.
8. The comparison of the relative value system in endodontic services and that among departments were more important than the comparison of the diferrences between he cost and the fee.
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