Pulpotomy or Root Canal Treatment for Irreversible Pulpitis -PIP Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Pulpotomy or Root Canal Treatment for the management of irreversible pulpitis in mature teeth - PIP Study
IRAS ID
323138
Contact name
Patricia Burns
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Tooth decay is very common; almost all adults have some decay in their back teeth. This costs the NHS over £3.4 billion each year. Where tooth decay has spread deep into the nerve, and caused serious and irreversible damage, there are different treatments available. The most common treatments are to take out the tooth or have root canal treatment (RCTx). RCTx removes all the nerve, is expensive, time consuming and technically demanding. A possible alternative is to remove only the infected part of the nerve, which could be an easier and quicker treatment. This is called pulpotomy.
Research in children’s teeth supports using pulpotomy instead of root canal treatment. However, there are gaps in our knowledge about using pulpotomy in adult teeth. Following a feasibility study, the PIP Study aims to provide this knowledge.
The PIP Study compares pulpotomy with root canal treatment in adult patients.
We will recruit 530 NHS adult dental patients who have irreversible damage of the nerve in a suitable tooth who agree to take part. They will receive one of the two treatments (Root Canal Treatment or Pulpotomy) at random.
We will measure how well the treatments work over one year. We will look at treatment success, levels of pain and if the tooth needs more treatment. We will also measure patients’ anxiety, how their oral health affects their quality of life, treatment costs and satisfaction.
We will use questionnaires, X-rays and data from dentists to compare the two treatments. We will also interview dental staff and patients.
Patients have been involved at all stages of the study and are keen for us to test newer ways of treating tooth decay. They felt it was important to measure pain, tooth loss, need for and cost of treatment. PPI partners continue to inform all stages of the Study.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/WM/0094
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion