Could a simpler dental procedure spare kids from a painful root canal?

NCT ID NCT06904781

Disease control Sponsor: Qatar University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether a simpler dental procedure called pulpotomy works as well as the standard pulpectomy for treating severe tooth decay in children's baby molars. Pulpotomy removes only the infected part of the pulp and seals it, while pulpectomy removes the entire pulp and fills the root canals. The study will follow children aged 4 to 9 for two years to see if the treated teeth remain pain-free and healthy, potentially offering a gentler option for young patients.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Pulpotomy (a less invasive dental procedure) compared to pulpectomy (a more extensive root canal procedure)
What this could lead to: If pulpotomy works as well as pulpectomy, children with severe tooth decay could get a quicker, less stressful treatment that saves more of the tooth.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial, and the simpler procedure might not be as effective in the long run. There's also a risk of the tooth still failing, requiring further treatment.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 80 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2025

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

4 to 9 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Healthy (ASA I and II) co-operative children (Frankl Scale + and ++) between the ages of four and nine years. 2. Participants have symptoms typical of irreversible pulpitis in one of the primary molars. 3. The pulp of the affected primary molar is vital. 4. Radicular pulp health is confirmed by attainment of radicular pulp haemostasis within 6 minutes of coronal pulp amputation. 5. The affected primary molars can be restored with full coverage stainless steel crowns. 6. Any physiologic root resorption, if present, is less than ⅓ the root length. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Clinical examination of affected primary molar reveals signs of pulpal infection (e.g. pathologic tooth mobility, parulis/fistula, or soft tissue swelling). 2. Pre-operative periapical radiograph suggests presence of periapical radiolucency or pathologic root resorption. 3. Visual examination of pulp tissue after deroofing reveals signs of necrosis (e.g. avascular/minimally bleeding pulp tissue or yellowish necrotic areas/purulent exudate). 4. Signs of extensive radicular pulp inflammation i.e., root pulp bleeding continues even after 6-min. 5. Parents not willing to place full coverage crowns post-treatment. 6. Clinical diagnosis of irreversible pulpitis between two adjacent primary molars is not sharply defined. 7. Unable to perform clinical procedure under rubber dam

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

pulpitis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Irreversible pulpitis

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Could a simpler dental procedure spare kids from a painful root canal?

What the study statuses mean