# Resin-Modified Calcium Silicate-Based Materials Versus Conventional Formulations in Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Vital Pulp Therapy Procedures in Pediatric Dentistry

## TL;DR

This study compares resin-modified calcium silicate materials with conventional ones for treating primary teeth and finds no significant differences in success rates.

## Contribution

The study provides a systematic review and meta-analysis of RM-CSCs in pediatric dentistry, focusing on clinical and radiographic outcomes.

## Key findings

- RM-CSCs showed no significant differences in clinical or radiographic success compared to conventional materials.
- TheraCal LC is effective for indirect pulp capping in primary teeth.
- More research is needed to confirm RM-CSCs' effectiveness in pulpotomy.

## Abstract

Vital pulp therapy comprises a group of procedures whose use in the primary dentition is increasingly supported in pediatric dentistry. The clinical management of pediatric patients requires biomaterials that provide precision, ease of handling, and reduced chairside time; in this context, resin-modified calcium silicate-based materials (RM-CSCs) have been introduced as an alternative to conventional calcium silicate formulations. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of RM-CSCs compared with non-resin calcium silicate-based materials in vital pulp therapy performed in primary teeth. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Randomized clinical trials were included, the risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. Of the 605 records initially identified, nine randomized clinical trials were ultimately included, all of which evaluated TheraCal LC as the RM-CSC. Meta-analyses were performed for vital pulp therapy overall and for procedure-specific subanalyses, including indirect pulp capping and pulpotomy. None of the meta-analyses demonstrated statistically significant differences between RM-CSCs and non-resin calcium silicate-based materials in terms of clinical or radiographic success. Therefore, the available evidence supports the use of TheraCal LC as an effective option for indirect pulp capping in primary teeth; however, its use in pulpotomy should be interpreted with caution until further randomized clinical trials become available.