Effectiveness of pulpotomy vs root canal treatment on postoperative pain and the treatment outcome in the management of permanent mature posterior teeth with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis: A systematic review and meta- analysis

Aim and objective: The objective of the present systematic review is to evaluate the success of pulpotomy in mature permanent teeth presented with irreversible pulpitis. Methodology: The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We included studies published in the English language only. However, narrative reviews and case reports/series were excluded. The first electronic and hand search yielded a total of 210 articles. After going through extensive screening and eligibility process, only thirteen articles were finally selected for the review. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 10years. A Meta- analysis of two randomized clinical trials was performed using RevMan 5.4 (RevMan 5.4, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen). Results: Randomized controlled trials which compared pulpotomy with the root canal treatment reported comparable success of pulpotomy. All the other studies have also shown comparable clinical and radiographic success of pulpotomy. Conclusion: Pulpotomy can be considered an alternative option for mature permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis