Vital Pulpal Therapy in Primary Teeth: A General and Paediatric Dentists’ Perspective

Abstract

Introduction: Management of pulpally involved primary teeth has recently gained importance inspite of the barriers faced by general dentists such as limited exposure to paediatric dentistry, skill and chair-side time. The advancements in technological and material sciences necessitate a practicing dentist to update themselves to deliver comprehensive dental care in most effective way. Aim: The study was aimed to assess and compare the perspective of pulpal treatment of primary teeth among general and paediatric dentists of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Close-ended, multiple-choice questionnaire evaluating their preferences towards pulp therapy in primary teeth was designed as part of a survey and mailed to 100 general dentists and 50 paediatric dentists across Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics followed by χ2 -test was applied to test of variables in the questionnaire to determine their association. Results: Paediatric dentists (68%) performed pulpal treatment in primary teeth more frequently under rubber dam isolation than general dentists (47%) (p=0.025). Traditional indirect pulp capping was preferred to Indirect Pulp Treatment (IPT) by both groups under local anaesthesia. Caries detector dye was used to facilitate precise caries removal more frequently by Paediatric dentists than general dentists (p=0.001). Pulpotomy was preferred over IPT by both groups when there was a probability of pulp exposure following complete caries excavation. Pulpectomy was infrequently performed. Zinc oxide eugenol was the material preferred for obturation in both groups. Paediatric dentists preferred stainless steel crown whereas General dentists preferred glass ionomer restoration after pulp therapy (p=0.004). There was no significant difference between follow-up schedule followed by general and paediatric dentists even though most dentists recalled their patients immediately and after 3 months follow-up. Conclusion: The survey helps in refining the approaches of dentists towards pulp therapy in primary teeth and ascertains whether they are according to recent trends.

Keywords

• pulp capping
• pulpectomy
• pulpotomy