Abstract

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is used in a variety of endodontic procedures. MTA is proven to provide good marginal adaption to dentin, to be biocompatible, and to stimulate dentin bridge formation through animal studies. These properties make MTA a potentially useful material to be used in vital pulp therapy. Clinical data on the use of MTA as a vital pulp medicament is sparse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of vital pulp therapy using MTA as the pulp medicament. Inclusion criteria for patient selection for recall was based on pulp treatment necessary from carious pulp exposure, treatment limited to permanent molars and premolars, and treatment must have been in place for at least six months. Twenty-nine teeth in twenty-five patients with carious pulp exposures were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Each tooth was assessed to measure clinical outcome by testing percussion sensitivity, cold response, and electronic pulp test response. A periapical radiograph was taken of each tooth to determine the condition of periapical tissues. Three evaluators determined periapical status based on the presence of a normal periodontal ligament (PDL), widened PDL, periapical lesion, or developing root apex. Root development of immature permanent root apices was also evaluated from the pre- and post-operative radiographs to determine if root development continued or ceased. Favorable results in this study were defined as treated teeth that: respond within normal limits to thermal testing and percussion, respond to EPT, have no periapical lesion, and have continued root development in a tooth with an immature apex. Of the factors tested in this study to measure clinical outcome, all factors had a statistically higher number of favorable results, except for continued root development. Continued root formation was seen in all nine teeth with immature root apices.

The results from this study indicate that MTA can successfully be used for vital pulp therapy in teeth with carious exposures in which the pulpal diagnosis was reversible pulpitis.

LLU Discipline

Pediatric Dentistry

Department

Pediatric Dentistry

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

John Peterson

Second Advisor

Leif Bakland

Third Advisor

Jay Kim

Fourth Advisor

Shahrokh Shabahang

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

2005

Date (Title Page)

12-2005

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Dental Pulp Capping; Dentin; Dental Pulp -- radiography

Type

Thesis

Page Count

viii; 34

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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