Success rate of pulp capping in primary and first permanent molars – A retrospective study

Abstract

The aim of this study was the evaluation of the success rate of 3 pulp capping treatment techniques and to compare the results obtained in primary (PM) and first permanent molars (FPM). Material and methods: In this retrospective study we collected data from 194 medical records; 330 PM and immature FPM treated by pulp cappings were analyzed. Results: The success rate of pulp capping treatments in PM was 64.5%, while for FPM this counted for 96.6%. The means of survival time in PM were: indirect pulp capping (IPC) – 59.24±3.92 months, stepwise (SW) – 32.55±3.19 months, and direct pulp capping (DPC) – 32.35±6.6 months; for FPM: IPC – 102.47±3.07 months, SW – 57.31±5.18 months, and DPC – 49.46±17.07 months. When we compared the findings between dentitions, we observed that IPC and SW techniques had superior results in FPM than in PM. Conclusions: Based on our results, IPC and SW methods seem to be better choices in terms of preserving pulp vitality in both PM and FPM. Overall, FPM vital therapy was more successful than that of PM.