Pulpotomy medicaments for vital primary teeth. Surveys to determine use and attitudes in pediatric dental practice and in dental schools throughout the world.

Surveys were sent to all Canadian pediatric dental specialists and to Heads of Departments of Pediatric Dentistry of selected dental schools throughout the world, in order to determine the use of and attitudes toward pulpal techniques on vital primary teeth. The preferred pulpotomy medicament of Canadian pediatric dental specialists was the 1:5 formocresol dilution, which was used by 50 percent of the respondents. The second most prevalent medicament was full-strength formocresol, used by 42.2 percent of respondents. The most prevalent medicament utilized in pediatric dental departments of dental schools was full-strength formocresol (40.8 percent) followed in popularity by the 1:5 formocresol dilution (36 percent). Scandinavia was the only geographic region to deviate from formocresol as the preferred pulpotomy medicament. Seventy percent (70 percent) of the pediatric dental departments in Scandinavia preferred calcium hydroxide for pulpotomies. Although 50 percent of the pediatric dental specialists and 55.2 percent of pediatric dental departments expressed concern about harmful effects of the preferred pulpotomy medicament, only 21.2 percent of the dentists and 29.6 percent of the schools were contemplating a change to another material. Because of its long history and lasting popularity, formocresol has been the most widely studied of the many pulpotomy medicaments. Although other techniques have been proposed and studied, the vast majority of pediatric dental practitioners in Canada (92.4 percent) and dental schools worldwide (76.8 percent) utilize either the full-strength or the 1:5 dilution of formocresol as the preferred pulpotomy medicament for vital primary teeth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)