Direct Pulp Capping Versus Pulpotomy for Primary Molars

Launched by KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL · May 7, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is comparing two ways to treat exposed pulp (the nerve inside a tooth) in baby teeth with deep decay. One method is direct pulp capping (DPC), where the exposed pulp is covered and kept intact. The other is pulpotomy, where the top part of the pulp is removed but the tooth is kept alive. Both treatments use Neo MTA, a specific dental cement, and the tooth is restored with a crown afterward. It’s a split-mouth trial, meaning each child will receive both treatments on different baby molars, with about a 1–2 week gap between visits. Children will be followed for up to 24 months to check that the treated teeth stay symptom-free and show no new problems on X-rays.

Who can join: healthy children aged 4–10 with deep caries in primary molars that are restorable and either asymptomatic or have mild reversible pulpitis. X-rays should show the decay has reached near the pulp but not caused irreversible damage. Exclusion criteria include spontaneous tooth pain, mobile or loose teeth, no pulp exposure after digging out the decay, or difficulty stopping any bleeding within 6 minutes. The study aims to enroll about 60 participants and is currently enrolling by invitation at King Abdullah University Hospital in Irbid, Jordan. If you participate, you’ll have two treatment visits and regular follow-ups for up to 2 years; results about which method works better are not yet known.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy patients.
• • Age 4-10 years.
• • Primary molar with deep caries present bilaterally.
• • Teeth should be restorable.
• • Clinically normal asymptomatic tooth or symptoms of reversible pulpitis (No history of pain or provoked pain subsides upon removal of the stimulus).
• • Radiographically: caries in the inner half of the dentin approaching the pulp.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • History of spontaneous pain.
• • Soft and hard tissue pathology.
• • Mobility or exfoliating tooth.
• • No pulp exposure after caries excavation.
• • Inability to achieve hemostasis after 6 minutes.
• • Radiographically: Root resorption exceeding 1/3 of the root, apical pathology.