Single- versus two-visit pulpectomy treatment in primary teeth with apical periodontitis: A double-blind, parallel group, randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry Vol. 34; no. 4; p. 383
• Main Authors: Bharuka, Sneha Bharatkumar, Mandroli, Praveenkumar S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India 01.10.2016
• Subjects: Calcium Hydroxide - therapeutic use; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Pulp Necrosis - diagnosis; Dental Pulp Necrosis - therapy; Double-Blind Method; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gutta-Percha; Humans; Male; Office Visits; Periapical Periodontitis - therapy; Pulpectomy - methods; Radiography; Root Canal Filling Materials - therapeutic use; Root Canal Obturation - methods; Root Canal Preparation - methods; Statistics, Nonparametric; Tooth, Deciduous - diagnostic imaging; Tooth, Nonvital - therapy; Treatment Outcome; Wound Healing; Zinc Oxide-Eugenol Cement - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 1998-3905

Reduction of the bacterial populations to levels compatible with periradicular tissue healing is the primary microbiological goal of the endodontic treatment of teeth with apical periodontitis. The number of visits required to treat teeth with apical periodontitis represents one of the most debatable issues in endodontics. The objective of this study was to compare and evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of single- versus two-visit pulpectomy treatment in primary teeth with apical periodontitis at the end of 6-month healing period. A parallel group, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was carried out in 64 children aged 4-8 years. Nonvital primary teeth with apical periodontitis with enough coronal structure were selected. Sixty-four children were assigned randomly into two groups (32 children each) by block randomization, and allocation concealment was done with closed envelop method. Group I underwent single-visit pulpectomy followed by obturation with zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE). Group II underwent conventional two-visit pulpectomy with intracanal calcium hydroxide, followed by obturation with ZOE. Postoperative clinical and radiographic evaluation was carried out at 1, 3, and 6 months after the end of the treatment. The data were analyzed by Wilcoxon's signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Friedman test. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical and radiographic outcomes in both the groups at the end of 6-month healing period. Single-visit pulpectomy can be considered as a viable option for the treatment of primary teeth with apical periodontitis.