title: Clinical and radiographic comparison of indirect pulp treatment using light-cured calcium silicate and mineral trioxide aggregate in primary molars: A randomized clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clinically and radiographically evaluate the reparative dentin formation in indirect pulp treatment (IPT) using mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and light cured calcium silicate (TheraCal) in primary molars over a period of 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  A clinical trial on IPT on 43 primary molars in 21 patients between the age of 4-7 years, divided into two groups: 22 teeth in MTA group and 21 in TheraCal group. Measurement of the variation in dentin thickness was done on the digitalized radiograph at baseline, 3 months and 6 months using CorelDRAW X3 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statistical analysis using an independentt-test for intragroup and intergroup comparison showed a significant increase in dentin thickness in both the MTA and TheraCal group (intragroup comparison [P< 0.05]). However, intergroup comparison between MTA and TheraCal showed no statistical difference in reparative dentin formation (P> 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically and radiographically, both MTA and TheraCal are good IPT materials. The better handling characteristics and comparable reparative dentin-forming ability of TheraCal make this material an alternative to MTA in pediatric restorative procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Navya P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Balagopal R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Sureshkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janardhanan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Parvathy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Arun Mamachan
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Amrita School of Dentistry, Ernakulam, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Bhat Sangeetha
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Govinda
keywords: Indirect pulp treatment; TheraCal; mineral trioxide aggregate; primary teeth; reparative dentin