What’s new for the clinician? Excerpts from and summaries of recently published papers

Abstract

Pulpectomy is a conservative treatment approach for preventing the premature loss of primary teeth that can result in loss of arch length, insufficient space for erupting permanent teeth, impaction of premolars, and mesial tipping of molar teeth adjacent to the lost primary molar. Pulpectomy is a procedure which involves removal of the roof of pulp chamber in order to gain access to the root canals which are debrided, shaped, disinfected, and obturated later with a resorbable material. As a result, the tooth can be maintained in the arch without vital pulp tissue, without compromising the function of the tooth. The most common complications associated with pulpectomy, post-operative pain (PP) and/or swelling, commence after treatment. These are always unpleasant experiences for both patients and clinicians. The apical extrusion of infected debris or irrigation solution during the canal preparation or irrigation procedure may worsen the inflammatory response and cause periradicular inflammation and postoperative pain. It is well-documented that the type of irrigation method affects the amount of apically extruded debris (AED) in permanent teeth. No study has evaluated the effect of different needle types on the intensity and duration of PP after pulpectomy in primary molars. Topçuoglu and colleagues reported on a trial that sought to compare the intensity and duration of postoperative pain after pulpectomy using open-ended needles (OEN) versus sidevented needles (SVNs) in primary upper molars.