Purpose: An increasing number of patients are being referred to the endodontic clinic of Aichi Gakuin University Dental Hospital (AGUDH) every year. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to create a system for accepting new patients more smoothly and to promote coordination between general dental clinics and the university hospital. The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in the patients referred to the endodontic clinic of AGUDH and to verify the role of a university hospital.

 Methods: This study evaluated data from new patients with referrals who attended the endodontic clinic of AGUDH from April 2014 to March 2017. The following information about patients was accessed: age, sex, address of patient and referring general dental clinic, reasons for referral, referred teeth, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, endodontic complications encountered in the general dental clinic, resulting treatment procedures, and place of treatment after diagnosis. The information in the referral documents and the medical records in the AGUDH were compared.

 Results: The findings of 2014, 2015, and 2016 tended to be similar. Approximately 500 new patients were referred every year, with a male to female ratio of approximately 3 : 7. Approximately 50% of patients were in their 30s and 40s. More than 90% of the referred patients and referring dental clinics were residing or located in Aichi prefecture. More than 90% of the reasons for referral were to request treatment for cases that the general dental clinics could not treat. The most frequently referred teeth were the maxillary and mandibular molars, which made up approximately 60% of the total. ‘Pain’was the most frequent presenting clinical symptom at both the general dental clinics and AGUDH. A higher percentage of‘percussion pain’was reported in patients at AGUDH. The most common diagnosis at AGUDH was‘apical periodontitis’, accounting for approximately 70% of the total. Approximately 30% of referrals were cases involving endodontic complications such as canal calcification, broken instruments, and perforation. The most common treatment plan at AGUDH was‘retreatment’, which accounted for approximately 60% of the total. Approximately 60% of referred patients chose AGUDH as the place of treatment.

 Conclusion: This survey showed that the endodontic clinic of AGUDH is expected to examine intractable cases using a microscope or cone-beam computed tomography as necessary and to provide a definitive diagnosis. To provide endodontic treatment according to the needs of contemporary society, there is an urgent need to create a new system for accepting new patients.