title: The effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate, calcium hydroxide and formocresol for pulpotomies in primary teeth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), calcium hydroxide (CH) and formocresol (FC) as pulp dressing agents in carious primary teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-five primary mandibular molars with dental caries in 23 children [AUTHOR QUERY: How many children?] between 5 and 9 years old were treated by a conventional pulpotomy technique. The teeth were randomly assigned to the experimental (CH or MTA) or control (FC) groups. After coronal pulp removal and haemostasis, remaining pulp tissue was covered with MTA paste or CH powder in the experimental groups. In the control group, diluted FC was placed with a cotton pellet over the pulp tissue for 5 min and removed; the pulp tissue was then covered with zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE) paste. All teeth were restored with reinforced ZOE base and resin modified glass-ionomer cement. Clinical and radiographic successes and failures were recorded at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three teeth were available for follow-up. In the FC and MTA groups, 100% of the available teeth were clinically and radiographically successful at all follow-up appointments; dentine bridge formation could be detected in 29% of the teeth treated with MTA. In the CH group, 64% of the teeth presented clinical and radiographic failures detected throughout the follow-up period, and internal resorption was a frequent radiographic finding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mineral trioxide aggregate was superior to CH and equally as effective as FC as a pulpotomy dressing in primary mandibular molars. Internal resorption was the most common radiographic finding up to 24 month after pulpotomies performed with CH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Public Health, Bauru School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, Bauru, Brazil.
authors.forename: A B S
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: V T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: A P C
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Fornetti
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: M A A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: R C C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Abdo
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000187:drug effects; D003809:Dentin, Secondary / Q000378:metabolism; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005566:Formocresols / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010087:Oxides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012391:Root Resorption / Q000209:etiology; D017640:Silicates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005566:Formocresols; D010087:Oxides; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; D017640:Silicates; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate; C031025:formocresol; D002126:Calcium Hydroxide