Relative effectiveness of direct and indirect pulp capping in the primary dentition

Introduction: Carious or traumatised teeth with a normal pulp status or with reversible pulpitis need an indirect or direct pulp capping procedure to keep the pulp vital. Aim: To evaluate the clinical outcome of both interventions for treating vital primary teeth. Study design: Two reviewers on Pubmed and ISI Web of Science performed a comprehensive literature review of publications from 1966 until December 2017. Among PubMed abstracts, publications were selected according to the following criteria: prospective clinical study, correct indication for the performed treatment, and clear definition of clinical and/or radiographic success criteria. The strict selection criteria limited the amount of randomised controlled trials (RCT) or controlled clinical trials (CT); especially for “indirect pulp therapy”, “direct pulp capping” and the number of RCTs was limited. Conclusions: Based on a systematic review (20 controlled clinical studies or randomised controlled clinical studies), the following statements can be given: Due to the opportunity of tissue repair, indirect pulp treatment can be an acceptable procedure for reversible pulp inflammation. The use of adhesives for indirect pulp capping in a single-visit procedure after gentle caries removal can be recommended. Successful pulp capping is possible under defined conditions (symptom-free tooth, disinfection of pulp exposures, Class-I cavity) and appropriate sealing of the cavity with an effective dentine seal being a conditio sine qua non. There is maximum evidence for the use of disinfecting solutions prior to pulp capping and Dycal as pulp capping material. Longer follow-up periods, more clinical studies, comparable conditions, and clear definitions of evaluation criteria are needed to confirm the results of endodontic treatment in primary teeth. © 2018, European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry.