Indirect pulp capping in the primary dentition: a 4 year follow-up study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Cariology
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Deep caries in primary teeth pose a challenge for preservation.
• Indirect pulp capping (IPC) aims to arrest caries and maintain tooth vitality.
• Evaluating long-term outcomes of IPC materials in primary dentition is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinical and radiographic changes following indirect pulp capping (IPC) in primary teeth over a 48-month period.
• To compare the efficacy of calcium hydroxide (Dycal) versus glass ionomer cement (Vitremer) as liners in IPC procedures.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven primary molars with deep caries but no irreversible pulpitis signs were treated with IPC.
• Teeth were randomized into two groups: one receiving a calcium hydroxide liner (Dycal), the other a glass ionomer cement liner (Vitremer).
• Clinical and radiographic evaluations were conducted over 48 months.

Main Results:

• After 48 months, the success rate for the calcium hydroxide group (Group 1) was 88.8%.
• The glass ionomer cement group (Group 2) demonstrated a success rate of 93%.
• No statistically significant difference in success rates was observed between the two material groups (P = 0.62).

Conclusions:

• Indirect pulp capping (IPC) is effective in arresting caries progression in primary teeth.
• The choice of liner material (calcium hydroxide or glass ionomer cement) did not significantly impact the long-term success of IPC.
• IPC represents a viable clinical approach for managing deep caries in primary molars.