Comparative clinical performance of stainless steel crowns placed using conventional, hall, and modified Hall techniques in carious primary molars: A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND

Stainless steel crowns (SSCs) are the restoration of choice for extensively carious primary molars because of their durability and clinical success. The Hall technique (HT) and modified HT (MHT) have been introduced as minimally invasive alternatives to conventional SSC placement; however, comparative evidence remains limited.

AIM: This study aimed to compare the clinical performance of SSCs placed using the conventional technique (CT), HT, and MHT.

SETTINGS AND

DESIGN

A three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted in the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Guru Nanak Dev Dental College and Research Institute, Sunam, from August 2025 to March 2026. Clinical outcomes were assessed by a blinded examiner.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Ninety healthy children aged 4-10 years with extensively carious primary molars without clinical or radiographic evidence of pulpal involvement were randomly allocated to CT ( n = 30), HT ( n = 30), or MHT ( n = 30). The primary outcome was crown retention. Secondary outcomes included gingival health, plaque accumulation, treatment-related discomfort immediately after treatment, and parental satisfaction during follow-up. Evaluations were performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

RESULTS

All randomized participants completed follow-up. One participant in the CT group experienced crown loss at 6 months, which was analyzed as treatment failure. Crown retention rates were 96.7%, 100%, and 100% for CT, HT, and MHT, respectively ( P = 1.000). No statistically significant intergroup differences were observed for any evaluated outcome.

CONCLUSION

Within the 6-month follow-up period, all three techniques demonstrated favorable clinical performance. Superiority of any single technique was not demonstrated. The HT and MHT may be considered minimally invasive restorative alternatives in appropriately selected primary molars.