Pulpotomy in Vital Primary Molars Diagnosed With Symptomatic Irreversible Pulpitis

Background: Pulpectomy continues to be the standard treatment recommendation for management of vital primary molars diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. The recent decade has seen a paradigm shift in the treatment concepts of how vital mature permanent molars diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis can be more conservatively managed using vital pulp therapy techniques like pulpotomy. However, despite emerging evidence indicating similarities between primary and permanent tooth pulp response to dental caries, there is limited research on whether pulpotomy can be similarly used as a definitive treatment modality for vital primary teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis.

Aim: This study primarily aims to assess the clinical and radiographic treatment outcomes of full pulpotomy in vital primary molars diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis.

Methods/Design: Healthy cooperative children, between 4-9 years of age, who have painful primary molars with symptoms typical of irreversible pulpitis will be recruited for the study from paediatric dental clinics located in eight countries (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, U.A.E, Jordan, Egypt, U.S.A, and Thailand). The primary outcome that will be assessed are the clinical success rates after one-year and two-years of the pulpotomy intervention. The secondary outcomes that will be assessed include: (i) immediate post-operative pain relief after 24 h and 7-days of the pulpotomy intervention; and (ii) radiographic success rates after one-year and two-years of the pulpotomy intervention. The influence of baseline pre-operative variables (age; gender; tooth type; site of caries; pre-operative furcal radiolucency; pre-operative pain intensity) and intra-operative factors (time taken to achieve haemostasis) on treatment outcomes will also be evaluated.

Discussion: This clinical trial seeks to provide evidence on whether pulpotomy can be used for the management of vital primary molars diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy (ASA I and II) co-operative children (Frankl Scale + and ++) between the ages of four and nine years.
• Participants have symptoms typical of irreversible pulpitis in one of the primary molars.
• The pulp of the affected primary molar is vital.
• Radicular pulp health is confirmed by attainment of radicular pulp haemostasis within 6 minutes of coronal pulp amputation.
• The affected primary molars can be restored with full coverage crowns.
• Any physiologic root resorption, if present, is less than ⅓ the root length

Exclusion criteria

• Clinical examination of affected primary molar reveals signs of pulpal infection (e.g.

pathologic tooth mobility, parulis/fistula, or soft tissue swelling)

• Pre-operative periapical radiograph suggests presence of periapical radiolucency.
• Pre-operative periapical radiograph suggests presence of furcal radiolucency more than ½ the furcation to periapical area.
• Visual examination of pulp tissue after deroofing reveals signs of necrosis (e.g.

avascular/minimally bleeding pulp tissue or yellowish necrotic areas/purulent exudate).

• Signs of extensive radicular pulp inflammation.
• Parents not willing to place full coverage crowns post-pulpotomy.
• Clinical diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis between two teeth is not sharply defined.