Aim: To evaluate the use of formocresol (FC) and ferric sulfate (FS) as pulpotomy agents in vital pulp therapy (VPT) in primary molars by dental practitioners.
Materials and methods: One hundred seventy-nine patients (aged 74.09 ± 20.75 months) who underwent pulpotomy were enrolled. The dmft, the number of visits, the filling materials, the clinical and radiological observations and complications were evaluated.
Statistics: The data were analysed using chi-square, Spearman's rank correlation and odds ratio.
Results: The analysis included the documentation of 179 patients with 276 pulpotomies: 50 (FS) and 226 (FC). The dmft was 8.54 ± 3.44. The therapeutic success was greater for FS pulpotomy and that of the two-appointment FC pulpotomy (90.6%) was higher than the one-appointment method (77.1%). Glass-ionomer cements (GIC) (53.6%), amalgam (30.0%), composites (15.6%), and steel crowns (1.8%) were used for tooth restoration. The risk of complications was lower for GI (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.09-4.88) compared to composite (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.19 - 5.80).
Conclusions: For primary teeth pulpotomy dental practitioners use both FS and FC. FC has been proven to be more effective in a two-appointmet treatment. When restoration with stainless steel crown (SSC) is not feasible, it is advantageous to use GIC rather than composite.