Factors Affecting Survival of Primary Teeth Receiving Interim Therapeutic Restorations in a Pediatric Population

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the overall survival rate of primary teeth treated with interim therapeutic restoration (ITR) in pediatric patients, to identify the variables that are associated with the success rate of interim therapeutic restoration, and to compare the survival rate for variables of interest. Methods: Charts from approximately 5000 inactivated patients in a rural Washington state private general dental office were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included children older than two years with initial ITR on a primary tooth that was asymptomatic and had no previous restoration. Two hundred and five charts were selected. Data collected included patient demographics, the initial date of ITR placement, and the baseline dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, or filled teeth). When available, prospective data collected included follow-up appointment dates, dmft/DMFT, and any relevant treatment outcomes of restorative treatment, pulp treatment, and extraction. Data was captured using REDCap Software Version 5.7.3 (Vanderbilt University) and then imported into Stata 12.0 (College Station, TX) for analysis. Descriptive statistics was calculated for all variables. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were calculated for overall treatment success. Log-rank statistics were used to compare survival rates for variables of interest. Results: The overall median survival time of teeth receiving ITR restorations was 8.3 years. Age, gender, baseline DMFT/dmft, tooth type, and number of ITR surfaces are not associated with tooth survival time. The only variable found to have a significant association with tooth survival was health status of the child. Conclusions: * A long median survival time of primary teeth treated with ITR was observed in this study. * Healthy children had significantly longer survival rates for primary teeth treated with ITR than those who were not healthy. * Replenishing ITR is an effective method to treat primary teeth with caries until their natural exfoliation or until a permanent restoration can be placed.