Tooth survival · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
Tooth survival was reported narratively in two trials and was not pooled.
1 finding from 1 review
Pathological periapical radiolucency · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
Two trials reported periapical radiolucency but results were not pooled owing to considerable heterogeneity.
1 finding from 1 review
Clinical failure · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
Pulpotomy may not differ from pulpectomy for clinical failure; no GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Soft tissue pathology · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
No statistically significant difference in soft tissue pathology between pulpotomy and pulpectomy (RR 3.11, 95% CI 0.54 to 17.7; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
RR 3.11 [0.54, 17.7]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Pathological mobility · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
Pathological mobility was rare (one tooth in one of four trials) and was not pooled.
1 finding from 1 review
Pathological root resorption · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
No statistically significant difference in pathological root resorption between pulpotomy and pulpectomy (RR 1.5, 95% CI 0.56 to 4.04; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
RR 1.5 [0.56, 4.04]
2 studies
GRADE not reported
Radiographic failure · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
No statistically significant difference in radiographic failure between pulpotomy and pulpectomy in the main analysis (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.25 to 2.42), with considerable heterogeneity (I2=76%; ungraded).
2 findings from 1 review
Pain · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
No statistically significant difference in pain between pulpotomy and pulpectomy (RR 2.06, 95% CI 0.31 to 13.8; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
RR 2.06 [0.31, 13.8]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Pulp canal obliteration · Children with carious vital pulp exposure in primary incisors
Pulp canal obliteration was reported narratively (mainly in the pulpotomy group) and was not pooled.
1 finding from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure
The three-study meta-analysis found no significant difference between full and partial pulpotomy after 1 year.
1 finding from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Human permanent teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis due to carious pulp exposure
Full pulpotomy showed a non-significant trend toward higher success than partial pulpotomy in mature teeth with irreversible pulpitis (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 2.16 [0.92, 5.07]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Patient- and clinical-reported outcomes (tooth survival, clinical/radiographic success, pain) · Asymptomatic permanent teeth with deep caries (no symptoms)
No studies compared partial versus full pulpotomy in asymptomatic permanent teeth with deep caries, so no evidence is available.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
0 studies
No studies found
Postoperative analgesic use · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
Postoperative analgesic use was similar or lower with full pulpotomy; one RCT reported significantly less analgesic use after full pulpotomy (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Analgesic use recorded in both studies. Jassal: PP 12% vs FP 8%. In one study, significantly fewer patients required analgesics with complete/full pulpotomy (30.6%) than partial pulpotomy (54.5%), and mean analgesic…
2 studies · 156 participants
GRADE not reported
Radiographic hard-tissue (dentine) barrier formation · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
Radiographic hard-tissue barrier formation did not differ significantly between partial and full pulpotomy (single RCT; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Pulp sensibility (EPT/cold response) · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
Pulp sensibility (EPT/cold) responses at 1 year were more frequent after partial than full pulpotomy (single RCT; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Jassal: positive pulp sensibility at 1 year - EPT positive in PP 95.45% (21/22) vs FP 63.6% (14/22); cold test positive in PP 45.45% (10/22) vs FP 13.63% (3/22). Sensibility was not used to ascertain the success…
1 study · 44 participants
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
No included study reported oral health-related quality of life (a planned outcome), so no evidence is available.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
0 studies
No studies found
Postoperative pain (VAS) · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
Postoperative pain was similar between partial and full pulpotomy in one RCT but significantly greater after partial pulpotomy in the other (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Jassal: no significant difference in postoperative pain between PP and FP at 24 h, 48 h and 7 days (preoperative PP 7.44+/-0.96 vs FP 7.52+/-1.08, p>.879). Ramani: no difference in pain incidence at 24 h (p=.496) but…
2 studies · 156 participants
GRADE not reported
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain)
Within two high-quality RCTs, partial and full pulpotomy achieved similar 1-year clinical/radiographic success for irreversible pulpitis (pooled 83% vs 90%), with no significant difference (high certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
FP 90%, PP 83% (pooled unadjusted 1-year success; no significant difference; no meta-analysis)
2 studies · 135 participants
High
Patient- and clinical-reported outcomes (tooth survival, clinical/radiographic success, pain) · Permanent teeth with deep caries and reversible pulpitis (non-spontaneous pain)
No studies compared partial versus full pulpotomy in permanent teeth with reversible pulpitis (non-spontaneous pain), so no evidence is available.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
0 studies
No studies found
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Human permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis due to carious pulp exposure
Biodentine had a significantly higher pulpotomy success rate than CEM (indirect comparison; numeric estimate not available); ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review