Efficacy of Zinc Oxide Eugenol Mixed with Calcium Hydroxide and Iodoform as Obturation Material in Pulpectomy of Primary Teeth

Background: An ideal obturation material must be antibacterial, compatible with the resorption rate of the deciduous root, and harmless to the periapical tissue and developing tooth bud. Objective: This study aims to evaluate and comparing zinc oxide eugenol and zinc oxide eugenol mixed with calcium hydroxide and iodoform as an obturation material for primary teeth at 3 and 6-month postoperative period. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on patients presenting to the Department of Pedodontics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka from 1st January,2019 to 31st December 2019. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the IRB of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria selected 90 primary mandibular molar teeth from 4-9 years old patients were randomly divided into two study groups -Group A (Zinc oxide eugenol) as control group and Group B (Zinc oxide eugenol mixed with calcium hydroxide and iodoform) as experiment group, where each group contained 45 teeth. Clinical and radiographic evaluation was done at 3 and 6 months postoperative period. Patients were assessed based on the presence or absence of pain, tenderness on percussion, gingival swelling, and improvement of interradicular radiolucency. Results: At the 3-month follow-up, postoperative pain and tenderness on percussion were absent in all patients, though the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). Gingival swelling was reported by 1 (1.1%) patient in Group-A, while no cases were observed in Group-B, showing a statistically significant difference (p=0.006). Radiographically, 6 (6.7%) teeth in Group-A showed no change in interradicular radiolucency, whereas all patients in Group-B exhibited a reduction, which was statistically significant (p=0.026). At the 6-month follow-up, no patients in either group reported pain, tenderness, or gingival swelling. Radiographic assessment showed continued reduction in radiolucency for all patients in Group-B, while 6 (6.7%) teeth in Group-A still showed no change. Conclusion: The current study conclude that zinc oxide eugenol mixed with calcium hydroxide and iodoform can be advocated as an effective alternative to zinc oxide eugenol as an obturation material for pulpectomy of primary teeth. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2024; 50: 119-126