Could a simpler dental procedure replace root canals for deep cavities?
NCT ID NCT07242742
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two treatments for extremely deep cavities that reach the tooth's nerve: a full pulpotomy (removing only the top part of the nerve) versus a standard root canal. About 93 people aged 12 and older with a deep cavity in a permanent tooth will be randomly assigned to one of the two procedures. The goal is to see if the simpler pulpotomy works as well as a root canal after one year, and whether dental students can perform it successfully in a supervised clinic.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- dental procedure (pulpotomy or root canal treatment)
- What this could lead to
- If pulpotomy works as well as root canal, more dentists may offer it as a simpler, tooth-preserving option for deep cavities.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in a training clinic, so results may not apply to all dentists or patients. The follow-up is only 12 months, and long-term success is unknown.
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
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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
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About 93 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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12 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * Aged 12 years or older * Mature maxillary or mandibular permanent tooth with extremely deep restorations/caries penetrating the entire thickness of dentine on the radiograph without a radiopaque zone separating the lesion from the pulp (Bjorndal et al., 2019) * Tooth may or may not be symptomatic at the time of recruitment but must be responsive to cold and EPT sensibility testing * Tooth is restorable and can be adequately isolated during treatment * One tooth per patient Exclusion Criteria: * Teeth with difficult access and unpredictable isolation using a rubber dam * Teeth aberrant root canal morphology, extreme root curvatures (\>30 degrees), calcified canals/sclerosed pulp * Teeth indicated for elective root canal treatment for restorative purposes * Teeth with apical periodontitis * Presence of apical radiolucency * Any evidence of purulence or excessive bleeding that cannot be controlled with a cotton pellet with 1.25% hypochlorite for 10 minutes * History of trauma to the tooth * Teeth with active periodontal disease (pocket depth \>5mm) * Patients with complex medical histories that may affect their caries experience and healing ability (immunocompromised, radiotherapy etc.) * Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding * Patients who are unable to consent
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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National University Centre For Oral Health Singapore (NUCOHS)
RECRUITINGSingapore, Singapore
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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