Clinical and radiographic evaluation of lavender essential oil as a pulpotomy medicament in primary molars

Abstract Objectives Pulpotomy is a popular vital pulp therapy used to keep deciduous teeth in place and functioning awaiting their biological shedding time. Finding the ideal pulpotomy material has always been a challenge. So, this study aimed to assess the effect of Lavender Essential Oil (LEO) clinically and radiographically as a pulpotomy medicament in primary molars. Patients and methods Eighty-eight primary molars out of 44 children of both sexes aged from 4 to 7 years, they were chosen from patients visiting the Pediatric Dentistry Department’s outpatient clinic. Each participant included in this study had bilaterally affected lower primary molars with deep carious lesions necessitating pulpotomy. Pulpotomy procedures were conducted for both groups; group I treated using LEO while group II treated with formocresol. All patients were scheduled for clinical and radiographic evaluations after 3, 6, and 9 months post treatment. Results The overall clinical success rate for both groups after 9 months were (97.5%). Both groups achieved clinical success, with no statistically significant difference observed between them ( P = 0.805). The overall radiographic success rate for LEO group was (92.5%), whereas for Formocresol group it was (90%), statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between both groups ( P = 0.999). Conclusion Both groups revealed elevated clinical and radiographic success rates when used as pulpotomy medicaments in human primary molars. LEO can be considered as an acceptable pulpotomy medicament in primary molars.