title: Retrospective Study of the Survival Rates of Indirect Pulp Therapy Versus Different Pulpotomy Medicaments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this retrospective chart review were to determine: (1) how primary molars in need of vital pulp therapy (VPT) have been treated over a period of four years at a university-based pediatric dental practice (UBP); and which treatments-indirect pulp therapy (IPT), formocresol pulpotomy (FCP), and ferric sulfate pulpotomy (FSP)-have been successful.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electronic patient records (axiUm) that contained the procedure codes D3120 (pulp cap-indirect) or D3220 (therapeutic pulpotomy) were totaled by year. Visit records were queried again to identify treatment failures (i.e., extractions [D7140] or pulpectomy [D3221/D3240]). A total of 2,001 primary molar teeth were included in the study. Success was compared using a Kaplan-Meier analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the three-year follow-up, IPT had a 96.2 percent survival rate, FCP had a 65.8 percent survival rate, and FSP had a 62.9 percent survival rate (P<.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over a four-year period of time, IPT became the more commonly used vital pulp therapy treatment at a university-based pediatric dental practice and had a significantly better survival rate than FCP or FSP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, in the School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va., USA. pbwunsch@vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Patrice Barsamian
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Wunsch
authors.affiliation: Private practice, Peabody, Mass., USA.
authors.forename: Marissa M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kuhnen
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, in the School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va., USA.
authors.forename: Al M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Best
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Dentistry, in the School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va., USA.
authors.forename: Tegwyn H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Brickhouse
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries; D003785:Dental Pulp Capping / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003792:Dental Records; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005566:Formocresols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010377:Pediatric Dentistry; D011670:Pulpectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011672:Pulpotomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D005566:Formocresols; C031025:formocresol; C024823:ferric sulfate