Influence of the restoration quality on the success of pulpotomy treatment: a preliminary retrospective study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical status of pulpotomy treatment with calcium hydroxide and to correlate it with the quality of restoration of the treated teeth. Patients were retrieved from the files of the Operative Dentistry clinics (FOUFPel) between 1996 and 2000. Twenty-two patients were recalled, which had 23 teeth treated with pulpotomy due to exposure by caries. Seven anterior and 16 posterior teeth composed the evaluated group, being all restored with composite resin. The age varied from 15-50 years (mean 23.9) and the follow-up mean was 34.52 months. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed to evaluate the clinical status of treatment. The criteria used, clinically favorable and failure, were based on the following clinical exams: pulp vitality; sensitivity; and periapical alterations. The quality of the restorations was based on the USPHS criteria. Pulpotomy treatment was ranked as clinically favorable in 10 teeth (43.5%), 4 in anterior and 6 in posterior teeth. Failure was verified in 13 teeth (56.5%), 4 anterior and 9 posterior. From the group clinically favorable, 90% of the restorations were ranked as clinically satisfactory, while only 10% were unsatisfactory. In the failure group, 77.8% of the restorations were classified was unsatisfactory and 22.2% were ranked as satisfactory. The statistical analysis (Fisher´s exact test) demonstrated that there is a statistically significant association between the clinical status of pulpotomy and restoration quality (p<0.05). Within the limitation of the study, it was verified that the quality of restoration could influence the favorable clinical status of pulpotomized teeth. Randomized clinical trials are required to confirm these preliminary data.