Pulp Therapy
Amber Haskins, DMD (she/her/hers)
Pediatric Dental Resident
Hennepin County Medical Center
Hennepin County Medical Center
Bloomington, Minnesota, United States
Vince Reynielle N. Labinpuno, DDS (he/him/his)
Pediatric Dentistry Resident
Hennepin Healthcare
Hennepin Healthcare
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
David Watson, PhD
Children's Minnesota
Melanie Yuen, DMD
Faculty Attending
Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Elisabeth Fulling, DDS
Program Director
Hennepin Healthcare
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes of primary tooth pulpotomies based on treatment setting (dental clinic versus operating room).
Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed pediatric patients who have completed a therapeutic pulpotomy at Hennepin Healthcare between 01/2015 and 12/2021. Electronic medical records were reviewed for the incident encounter and subsequent encounters. Participants were enrolled according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data recorded included demographic data, pre-treatment symptoms, treatment setting (dental clinic versus operating room), medicament used, post-treatment clinical and radiographic findings. The primary outcome is the time to pulpotomy failure. Clinical failure was defined as percussion sensitivity, fistula, swelling, excess mobility, or exfoliation in less than six months. Radiographic failure was defined as presence of furcation or periapical radiolucency, presence of internal root resorption, root tips, or early exfoliation. The explanatory variable is the treatment setting (dental clinic versus operating room). Time-to-event data will be analyzed using survival analysis methods.
Results: Five hundred sixty-three electronic medical records were reviewed. Seven hundred ninety primary teeth treated with therapeutic pulpotomy were enrolled. Of these, we excluded those who did not authorize the use of their information for research, were coded incorrectly, received primary dental care with an outside clinic, or did not have a follow up visit. After exclusions, the cohort contained 435 teeth among 262 patients.
Conclusion: Pulpotomies completed in children age 1-2 years old have a higher failure rate than pulpotomies completed in children 3-5 years old. Pulpotomies completed in the dental clinic have a higher failure rate than pulpotomies completed in the operating room.