Skip to content

Comparative Effectiveness in the Management of Irreversible Pulpitis

Comparative Effectiveness in the Management of Irreversible Pulpitis

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04922229
Enrollment
138
Registered
2021-06-10
Start date
2027-06-01
Completion date
2031-12-31
Last updated
2026-02-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Irreversible Pulpitis

Keywords

Pulpotomy, Vital Pulp Therapy

Brief summary

This project addresses a central question within the practice of dentistry: Is a pulpotomy procedure effective in the treatment of a tooth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis and normal periapex? In addition, the project seeks to identify clinical and molecular biomarkers that are predictive of the success of pulpotomy.

Detailed description

In this study, patients will be randomized to two groups. All patients will have a diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis with normal apical tissues. The groups will be root canal treatment and pulpotomy. The patients will be followed clinically and radiographically for 2 years following the treatment. Predictors of the outcome of pulpotomy will be clinical and laboratory-based parameters.

Interventions

PROCEDURERCT

This is the standard of care for this diagnosis

PROCEDUREPulpotomy

For cases with normal apical tissues, pulpotomy using tricalcium silicates has been shown to have high clinical success. Either partial or complete pulpotomy will be performed depending on the size of pulp exposure.

Sponsors

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to 99 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Maxillary or mandibular first or second mature permanent molars with carious lesions or restorations (excluding crowns), with signs and symptoms of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (defined as spontaneous pulpal pain and cold hyperalgesia \>30 seconds), and normal apical tissues. * Tooth is responsive to cold and electrical pulp testing. * Patients aged ≥12 years for first molars and ≥16 years for second molars.

Exclusion criteria

* Evidence of Pulp Necrosis or Apical Periodontitis, preoperatively or upon inspection of an exposure site * Teeth that are badly broken down and/or are not restorable. * Teeth with mechanical allodynia assessed by registering bite force that is at least 50N lower than the contralateral side. * Teeth with radiographic evidence of internal, or external cervical, inflammatory or replacement root resorption, or with complete pulp canal obliteration. * Radiographic evidence of PDL space wider than three times normal width * Clinical evidence of swelling or sinus tract * Periodontal pocket probing depth ≥5 mm in any site around the tooth. * Clinical evidence of cracks connecting mesial and distal surfaces and/or extending in pulp chamber or associated with periodontal pockets ≥ 5 mm. * History of taking centrally acting drugs (e.g., tricyclic antidepressants), which interfere with the release of pain mediators and/or modify pain experience, within the previous 6 months. * Use of medications that affect the host response such as methotrexate, corticosteroids or cyclosporin. * Patients on immunosuppressive agents, chronic corticosteroid use, autoimmune disease, or other immunocompromising diseases or medications. * Patients who require IV sedation or general anesthesia for their dental treatment. * Teeth with full coverage crowns. * Teeth undergoing active orthodontic movement. * Teeth that require elective RCTx to place a post for restorative purposes. * Teeth with no contralateral molars with normal pulp and periapical tissues for bite and pulp testing controls. * Teeth in the pulpotomy group in which, following complete pulpotomy, bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes with 3-4% hypochlorite cotton pellet. These will be considered treatment failure and treated with RCTx.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Percentage of patients with a successful outcome of pulpotomy versus RCTFrom baseline through 2 yearsA composite of clinical and radiographic findings and incidence of follow up procedures

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Determine prognostic validity of preoperative hyperalgesia in determining the outcome of pulpotomyFrom baseline to two yearsNeurosensory measurements of preoperative signs and symptoms will be measured and correlated with the outcome of pulpotomy
Determine prognostic validity of a set of pulpal inflammatory proteins in determining the outcome of pulpotomyFrom baseline to 2 yearsProtein analysis at the time of treatment will be correlated with the outcome of pulpotomy

Countries

United States

Contacts

CONTACTSheila Turner, DDS
jordan@uab.edu(205) 934-5045
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAshraf Fouad, DDS

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 18, 2026