171 - Current Pediatric Dental Trends for Pulp Therapy

Current Pediatric Dental Trends for Pulp Therapy

Austin E, Reinemer H, and Collingridge D

Intermountain Health - Primary Children’s Hospital, Salt Lake City, UT

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if pediatric dentists have followed updated AAPD pulp therapy guidelines by comparing the ratio of pulpotomies to stainless steel crowns completed yearly over a 6-year period. Additionally, willingness to change practices based on time since residency and regularly reading updated guidelines was evaluated.

Methods: Members of the AAPD were sent a survey where they could submit the number of D-codes for crowns and pulp therapies completed each year from 2018 through 2023. Following the data submission, there was a short survey regarding the provider’s practice setting, time since residency graduation, comfort with incomplete caries removal, and practices surrounding reading updated AAPD guidelines.

Results: Forty-one surveys were collected. Due to the low number of responses, no significant results were found. However, trends show an initial increase in pulpotomy-to-crown ratio from 2018-2020 and then a subsequent decrease in the ratio from 2020-2023, falling below pre-pandemic ratios in 2022. Time since residency did not corelate with comfort level leaving caries under a restoration. Lastly, 76.9% of respondents report that they regularly read the updated Reference Manual, and it influences changes in their practice.



Conclusions: Observed trends demonstrate that providers are beginning to perform lower numbers of pulpotomies and an increase in indirect pulp therapies (IPT). AAPD members do regularly read updated guidelines and allow them to make changes in their practice. A broader research study is needed to examine changes in the next 5-10 years since the AAPD updated the guideline in 2024.