# Clinical and radiographic evaluation of premixed versus powder/liquid bioceramic mineral trioxide aggregate in indirect pulp capping of immature permanent mandibular molars: a randomized clinical trial

## TL;DR

This study compared two types of MTA materials for pulp capping in children's molars and found both to be equally effective clinically and radiographically.

## Contribution

The study provides evidence on the clinical equivalence of premixed and conventional MTA in indirect pulp capping for immature permanent molars.

## Key findings

- Premixed MTA showed 100% success rate while conventional MTA showed 91.6% success rate with no significant difference.
- No postoperative pain was reported in the premixed MTA group, and only one case in the conventional MTA group.
- No furcal radiolucency or root resorption was observed in either group during follow-up.

## Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiographic success rate of the Premixed MTA versus conventional powder/liquid MTA in indirect pulp capping of immature permanent carious mandibular molars.

A randomized clinical trial with a parallel group design and an allocation ratio of 1:1 was conducted at the outpatient clinic at the Pediatric Dentistry and Public Health Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University. The study included 24 pediatric patients aged 6–8 years, randomly assigned to either the premixed MTA (Well-Root™ PT) (n = 12) group or the conventional MTA (Cerkamed MTA+) (n = 12) group. Both groups underwent similar clinical procedures, including caries removal, indirect pulp capping, and restoration. Postoperative pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The pulp sensibility was tested using electrical pulp testing and radiographic evaluation for furcal radiolucency and root resorption using digital intraoral radiographs. Collected data were statistically analyzed at P < 0.05.

Premixed MTA group showed overall success (100%) while the conventional MTA group showed a success rate of 91.6%, at 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year follow-ups, with no significant difference between both groups (P > 0.05). Regarding the postoperative pain, patients who received premixed MTA showed no pain, while in the conventional MTA group, only one patient experienced pain (P > 0.05). No furcal radiolucency or root resorption was observed in participants from both groups during the follow-up periods.

Both premixed MTA and conventional MTA demonstrated comparable clinical and radiographic success rates in indirect pulp capping of immature permanent molars.

The full trial protocol and statistical analysis plan can be accessed on December 2, 2022, on the clinical trial registry page at www.clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT05597553), retrospectively registered.