Clinical Evaluation and Comparison of Parental Satisfaction between Anterior Strip Crown and Conventional Composite...

Dental caries is among the most common oral diseases in children, and restoring primary incisors is particularly challenging due to the need for strength, durability, and esthetics. Conventional composite restorations are widely used, while anterior strip crowns-transparent, celluloid preformed crowns- are also increasingly applied with promising esthetic outcomes. However, evidence comparing their clinical performance is limited. The study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and parental satisfaction of anterior strip crowns with conventional composite restorations in primary anterior teeth. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Pedodontics, Bangladesh Medical University, Bangladesh from October 2021 to September 2022. Sixty maxillary primary incisors from 28 children were included. Satisfaction of parents about color, size, shape and appearance was estimated using a Likert scale. Clinical efficacy was evaluated in terms of retention, marginal adaptation, and surface texture based on USPHS criteria at 3, 6 and 9 months. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 26.0) with Chi-square and Independent t-tests; p<0.05 was considered significant. Of the 60 teeth, 28 were central and 32 lateral incisors. Over 9 months, no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) were found between the two groups in most criteria. After 9 months, marginal adaptation was rated "very good" in 73.3% of strip crown cases (Group A) and 60.0% of composite cases (Group B), without significant difference. Surface smoothness matched surrounding enamel in 80.0% of Group A and 50.0% of Group B, with significant differences at 3 and 9 months (p<0.05). Anterior strip crowns demonstrated higher parental satisfaction and better clinical outcomes, particularly in surface smoothness, compared to conventional composite restorations. Although most differences were not statistically significant, strip crowns appear to be a more favorable option for restoring carious primary maxillary anterior teeth.