INTRODUCTION

This randomized clinical trial aimed to compare the success rate and postoperative pain of direct pulp capping (DPC) using calcium hydroxide (CH) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in teeth with carious pulp exposures and reversible pulpitis.

METHODS

Sixty-four permanent teeth were randomly divided after caries excavation into 2 groups: CH and MTA (n = 32 in each group). Exposed pulps were capped using standardized protocols. The treated teeth were restored with glass ionomer cement and composite restoration. The primary outcome was success rate at the 12-month follow-up, and the secondary outcome was postoperative pain after 7 days. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed at 3, 6, and 12 months. Pain was recorded using the visual analog scale every 24 hours for 7 days after intervention.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients were analyzed at the 12-month follow-up, 29 treated with CH and 27 with ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Tulsa, OK). The success rate was 69% for CH and 93% for ProRoot MTA (P < .05). The kappa value of interrater agreement was 0.773.No significant difference in pain incidence was found between the 2 groups (P > .05) although a significant pain reduction was found 6 hours after the procedure in both the groups. Significantly lower pain scores were reported in the MTA group (6.3 ± 9.5) compared with the CH group (18.5 ± 20.8) after 18 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

Teeth with carious pulp exposures and reversible pulpitis can be treated successfully with DPC. MTA proved better than CH in terms of both success rate and pain intensity.