[Radiographic follow up examination on pulpotomy in primary teeth. Treatment with formocresol paste]

We conducted a radiographic follow up and discussion concerning 125 primary teeth (46 boys and 24 girls), which were random samplings from all primary teeth which had been treated by pulpotomy with Formocresol (Pulpac V) during the period from January 1980 to December 1985 at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic of the School of Dentistry, Hiroshima University. For the follow up examination, we used only the radiograms which were radiographically available. The results obtained were as follows: 1) At the time of final follow up examination for each treated tooth, the number of teeth judged as being successful were 50 (40.0%) and 75 (60.0%) as being unsuccessful. In particular we observed especially many teeth judged as being unsuccessful during the period from 6 to 12 months and from 30 to 36 months after treatment. 2) In this investigation, we observed all the radiograms which had been taken at the recall after treatment, and therefore the number of cases examined was 247. According to the results at the time of each follow up examination, unsuccessful cases were more numerous during the period from 30 to 36 months. 3) According to the location of the treated teeth and the age at the time of treatment, abnormal findings appeared in the majority of the unsuccessful cases within 18 months after treatment. Unsuccessful cases were more numerous for the lower first deciduous molars. Successful cases of patients aged 6 years, when pulpotomy had been performed, were more numerous. 4) Of 75 teeth judged as being unsuccessful, 24 showed internal root resorption, 24 abnormal root resorption, 51 loss of lamina dura integrity and 53 alveolar bone resorption in the periapical and/or furcation areas.