An effective, non-intensive pulp therapy treatment for pediatric tooth decay may be underutilized, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) reports. During indirect pulp treatment (IPT), caries close to the pulp are left behind, and the cavity is sealed with restorative material.
According to the AAPD, the one-appointment procedure has a 94.4% success rate. IPT is specifically applied to avoid pulp exposure during the removal of caries lesions. It involves careful radiographic and clinical assessment of the teeth to ensure that they are healthy or reversibly inflamed.
“IPT is a conservative, biological approach that shows a great deal of promise,” said Vineet Dhar, DDS, study co-author and clinical associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.
IPT offers a research-based approach to remove caries lesions while retaining pulp vitality, but third-party reimbursement issues may be preventing widespread application of this technique, the researchers said.
Often, IPT is bundled as part of a restoration procedure and therefore under-reimbursed or not reimbursed at all. But pulpotomies, which are the most widely used pulp therapy procedures, are reimbursed by private and federally funded insurance companies.
Clinicians consider individual patient preferences and their own experience in selecting pulp therapy treatments, Dhar said, but this reimbursement discrepancy may unintentionally prioritize pulpotomies over the more conservative approach.
“Providing reimbursement of IPT will better allow clinicians to make choices based on efficacy and effectiveness alone,” Dhar said.
The study, “Use of Vital Pulp Therapies in Primary Teeth with Deep Caries Lesions,” was published by the AAPD.
Related Articles
Researcher Uses Lasers to Regenerate Dental Tissue
Suspected Mycobacterial Infections Follow Pulpotomies
Kool Smiles to Pay $23.9 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
