Emergency pulpotomy in relieving acute dental pain among Tanzanian patients

• Main Authors: Simon Elison NM (Author), Matee Mecky I (Author), Nyerere Joachim W (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: BMC, 2006-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Tanzania, oral health services are mostly in the form of dental extractions aimed at alleviating acute dental pain. Conservative methods of alleviating acute dental pain are virtually non-existent. Therefore, it was the aim of this study to determine treatment success of emergency pulpotomy in relieving acute dental pain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>Setting: </it>School of Dentistry, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.</p> <p><it>Study design: </it>Longitudinal study.</p> <p><it>Participants: </it>180 patients who presented with dental pain due to acute irreversible pulpitis during the study period between July and August 2001.</p> <p><it>Treatment and evaluation: </it>Patients were treated by emergency pulpotomy on permanent posterior teeth and were evaluated for pain after one, three and six week's post-treatment. Pain, if present, was categorised as either mild or acute.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the patients with treated premolars, 25 (13.9%) patients did not experience pain at all while 19 (10.6%) experienced mild pain. None of the patients with treated premolars experienced acute pain. Among 136 patients with treated molars 56 (31%) did not experience any pain, 76 (42.2%) experienced mild pain and the other 4 (2.2%) suffered acute pain.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The short term treatment success of emergency pulpotomy was high being 100% for premolars and 97.1% for molars, suggesting that it can be recommended as a measure to alleviate acute dental pain while other conservative treatment options are being considered.</p>

Item Description

10.1186/1472-6831-6-1
1472-6831