245 - Comparison of MTA, Formocresol and Pressure Pulpotomies

Purpose: To determine if the clinical and radiographic success rates of pressure pulpotomies are similar to those of formocresol and MTA pulpotomies in primary molars, and whether antimicrobial irrigation changes success rates.

Methods: A retrospective chart review from 2016-2020 was was completed investigating the success rates of pressure, formocresol, and MTA pulpotomies at a California health center. Type of provider (pediatric dentist or resident), use of an antimicrobial irrigant (none, sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine), molar type (first or second) were also examined.

Results: Three hundred pulpotomies (112 pressure, 164 formocresol, 24 MTA) were included. There were no significant differences in clinical survival probability over time (p=0.32), radiographic survival probability over time (p=0.14), mean length of clinical success (CS) (p=0.48), or mean length of radiographic success (RS) (p=0.15) among the pulpotomy medicaments (pressure, formocresol, MTA). There were statistically significant differences at p<0.01 in clinical survival probability over time, radiographic survival probability over time, mean length of CS, and mean length of RS among the irrigants (none, sodium hypochlorite, chlorhexidine). Sodium hypochlorite had the lowest clinical and radiographic survival probability, plus the shortest mean length of CS (14.0 months) and RS (13.7 months). Pressure pulpotomies with no irrigant had the longest CS (23.8 months) and RS (23.8 months).

Conclusions: Medicament used does not influence the mean length of clinical success or radiographic success. Irrigant influenced all clinical and radiographic success measures, with sodium hypochlorite performing the worst. Pressure pulpotomy with no irrigant performed the best in this study.