Magnification in undergraduate endodontic teaching in the UK and Ireland: a survey of teaching leads in Endodontology.

Magnification has become viewed as an essential part of endodontic practice. The dental operating microscope has the most significant impact on endodontic visualization; however, the use of dental loupes in nonsurgical endodontics could be considered the minimum standard. The pedagogical dilemma faced by dental educators training undergraduates to behave in a manner that they themselves would not, cannot be rationalized on the basis of cost and lack of staff training. It is proposed that although significant, these barriers are not insurmountable and the use of dental loupe should become an expectation in undergraduate training in the UK and Ireland.