Comparative study of efficacy of formocresol and calcium hydroxide pulpotomy in primary molars

ABSTRACT

Comparative study of formocresol and calcium hydroxide pulpotomy procedure has a particular importance in this part of the subcontinent where low socioeconomic status is debilitating and does not allow many persons to undergo an expensive therapy like Mineral Trioxide Aggregate therapy, laser therapy and electro cauterization modality of pulpotomy. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different vital pulp therapy techniques both clinically and radiographically in cariously exposed primary molars, utilizing calcium hydroxide and formocresol as the material for pulpotomy. It was a Quasi-experimental study. The sampling technique was a non-randomized convenience sampling. The study was conducted and completed in one year 28, Military Dental Centre, La-hore. The study was carried out using clinical and radiological criteria of follow up for evaluating the success of the two techniques by selecting 60 subjects, all Pakistanis. The sample comprised of subjects within 4 to 6 years age bracket selected alternatively according to gender. Formocresol and Calcium hydroxide pulpotomy was performed after amputation and proper hemostasis of the coronal pulp chamber and the selected patients were divided into two groups. The patients selected for formocresol pulpotomy were placed in Group F and the patients for calcium hydroxide pulpotomy were placed in Group C. Follow up of the cases were performed at 03 months, 06 months and 01 year period and the results in terms of success and failure were recorded in the stipulated data form and analyzed by SPSS version 17 for Windows. Sixty cariously exposed primary molars required vital pulp therapy. Thirty primary molars [50%] in Group F and thirty primary molars [50%] in Group C. 27 teeth [90%] treated with formocresol and 17 teeth [56.7%] with calcium hydroxide were classed as clinically and radiographically successful at the end of one year. The results showed a significant difference in the efficacy of the two groups [p= 0.004]. It was concluded that there was a significant difference in the efficacy of the two medicaments projecting higher rate of success with formocresol as compared to calcium hydroxide both clinically and radiographically