Clinical and radiographic study of pulpectomy and root canal therapy

A clinical and radiographic reexamination of 2,459 roots 2-7 years after initial pulpectomy or root canal therapy is presented. The overall success rate, which was 53%, was not affected by the sex or age of the patient, or by the jaw in which the tooth was situated. The tooth group, however, had a significant influence on the success rate, the worst results being obtained for incisors and especially the mandibular central and maxillary lateral incisors. The prognosis was clearly better for the pulpectomies than for the root canal therapy. Mortal pulpectomy was found to succeed more often than vital. The presence of a primary periapical rarefaction worsened the success rate. The success rate was lower for the teeth in which a posttreatment prosthetic crown had been fitted. Fillings which went beyond the apex had a significantly lower success rate than those which nearly or exactly reached the apex.