title: Current trends in pulp therapy: a survey analyzing pulpotomy techniques taught in pediatric dental residency programs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study's purpose was to survey directors of pediatric dental residency programs in order to evaluate the materials currently being taught and used for pulpotomy procedures for primary teeth in educational and clinical settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A web-based survey was emailed to all graduate pediatric dental residency program directors in the United States.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy one emails were sent to program directors, 47 responded but only 39 respondents (55%) were included in the study. Results suggested a slight decrease in utilization of formocresol 1:5 dilution (P<.01) and an increase in both ferric sulfate (P<.05) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA; P<.02) utilization for primary tooth pulpotomy procedures. The most common reasons for elimination of formocresol (18% of respondents) were systemic health concerns and carcinogenicity, in addition to evidence-based literature. Even though 25% of respondents have begun to use MTA for primary pulpotomy procedures, the most common reason for utilization of other medicaments over MTA was its higher cost.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With 82% of graduate pediatric dental residency programs still utilizing formocresol 1:5 dilution for pulpotomy procedures in primary teeth, there has been no major shift away from its clinical use, in spite of increased usage of newer medicaments over the last 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Indiana University, Indianapolis, India. laqawalk@iu.edu
authors.forename: Laquia A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: C Andrew
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Legan
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maupome
mesh_terms: D017607:Aluminum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005566:Formocresols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010087:Oxides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry / Q000193:education* / Q000639:trends; D057872:Pulp Capping and Pulpectomy Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000379:methods*; D017640:Silicates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous
chemical_list: D017607:Aluminum Compounds; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005566:Formocresols; D010087:Oxides; D057872:Pulp Capping and Pulpectomy Agents; D017640:Silicates; C086631:mineral trioxide aggregate; C031025:formocresol; C024823:ferric sulfate