Effectiveness of Pulpotomy vs. Root Canal Treatment in Extremely Deep Caries

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Extremely Deep Caries, Pulpitis

In brief

Recent clinical trials comparing pulpotomy versus root canal treatment (RCT) have shown promising outcomes; however, the current evidence lacks generalisability to general practitioners. It remains to be elucidated whether these favourable results can be replicated in a primary care setting. This study aims to address that gap by involving senior dental students undergoing supervised university education and training, with the potential to inform future best practice guidelines and promote the adoption of vital pulp therapy (VPT) as a predictable treatment alternative in the general dental population. The clinical procedure involves complete caries-free excavation carried out under rubber dam isolation. After confirming vital pulp status-demonstrated by bleeding upon entry, participants will be randomised to receive one of two treatments: RCT or full pulpotomy. Outcomes will include clinical and radiographic success or failure of the intervention at 12 months. Additionally, patient-reported outcomes will be collected, specifically pain experienced and the use of analgesia during the immediate post-operative period (days 3 and 7).

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07242742

Run by

National University Hospital, Singapore

People needed

93

Starts

2025-07-16

Expected to finish

2027-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2025-11-21

Who can join

Age: 12 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged 12 years or older
• Mature maxillary or mandibular permanent tooth with extremely deep restorations/caries penetrating the entire thickness of dentine on the radiograph without a radiopaque zone separating the lesion from the pulp (Bjorndal et al., 2019)
• Tooth may or may not be symptomatic at the time of recruitment but must be responsive to cold and EPT sensibility testing
• Tooth is restorable and can be adequately isolated during treatment
• One tooth per patient

You may not qualify if…

• Teeth with difficult access and unpredictable isolation using a rubber dam
• Teeth aberrant root canal morphology, extreme root curvatures (>30 degrees), calcified canals/sclerosed pulp
• Teeth indicated for elective root canal treatment for restorative purposes
• Teeth with apical periodontitis
• Presence of apical radiolucency
• Any evidence of purulence or excessive bleeding that cannot be controlled with a cotton pellet with 1.25% hypochlorite for 10 minutes
• History of trauma to the tooth
• Teeth with active periodontal disease (pocket depth >5mm)
• Patients with complex medical histories that may affect their caries experience and healing ability (immunocompromised, radiotherapy etc.)
• Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding
• Patients who are unable to consent

Where it is running

• National University Centre For Oral Health Singapore (NUCOHS) — Singapore, Singapore (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.