title: Comparison between biodentine and formocresol for pulpotomy of primary teeth: A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the clinical and radiographic success rates of biodentine and formocresol for pulpotomy in human primary teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, split-mouth, double-blind, controlled clinical trial was carried out in 37 healthy 4- to 8-year-old children with 56 pairs (112 teeth) of contralateral primary molars indicated for pulpotomy. Matched teeth in each pair were randomized to undergo either biodentine (n = 56 teeth) or formocresol (n = 56 teeth) pulpotomy. In both groups, the teeth were restored with stainless steel crowns. The teeth were evaluated clinically and radiographically at 3 and 6 months by two blinded, standardized, and calibrated examiners. The data were analyzed using chi-square and McNemar tests with a P value of < .05 considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At both the 3- and 6-month follow-ups, all the 37 children with 112 treated teeth were evaluated. Clinical and radiographic success was similar for biodentine (100%) and formocresol (100%), without any statistically significant difference (P = 1). Pulp canal obliteration was radiographically observed in 10/56 (17.9%) and 7/56 (12.5%) cases in the biodentine and formocresol groups, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both pulpotomy techniques showed favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes at 3 and 6 months posttreatment without any significant difference. Hence, biodentine has the potential to become a substitute for formocresol in primary molar pulpotomies.
authors.forename: Omar Abd El Sadek
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: El Meligy
authors.forename: Sulaiman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Allazzam
authors.forename: Najlaa Mohd
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Alamoudi
mesh_terms: D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003442:Crowns; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005566:Formocresols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000379:methods*; D017640:Silicates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017610:Calcium Compounds; D005566:Formocresols; D017640:Silicates; C031025:formocresol; C506393:tricalcium silicate