Clinical evaluation of restoration of grossly carious primary teeth using biological approach

Abstract

Background: To widen the treatment option of primary teeth with mutilated crown tooth structure but having more than two-thirds of root structure were restored by using natural tooth crowns with the help of adhesive materials. Aim and objective: To restore the grossly decayed primary molars with biological crowns and to evaluate them for longevity, change in color, occlusal wear, marginal integrity, and patient/parent acceptance. Materials and methods: Twenty primary molars from 6 to 10 years old children were restored with biological crowns (extracted/exfoliated tooth crowns) and follow-up was done till 12 months. Data tabulated and results were statistically analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The statistical software SPSS 19.0 was used. Results: 89.47% of biological restorations survived successfully till 12 months follow-up period. No occlusal wear was found in any of the samples, a breach in marginal integrity was seen only in 16.6% of cases, and only 5.5% of biological crowns showed discoloration (darker) at 12 months intervals. 65.00% of patients well accepted the treatment and showed satisfaction while 20.0% of patients remained neutral. Only 15% of patients experienced dissatisfaction at the end of the study. Conclusion: Biological restorations proved to be a viable alternative for the restoration of grossly mutilated primary molars.