Pulpa dentis D30 for acute reversible pulpitis: A prospective cohort study in routine dental practice.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Pulpa dentis D30 (PD: dental pulp of the calf, prepared in a homeopathic D30 potency) has been used in acute reversible pulpitis for pain relief and to avoid or postpone invasive dental treatment.

PRIMARY STUDY OBJECTIVE:

To study short-term clinical outcomes of PD therapy for acute reversible pulpitis in routine dental practice.

METHODS/DESIGN:

Prospective, observational, open-label, single-arm cohort study.

SETTING:

Eleven dental primary care practices in Germany.

PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION:

Thirty-two patients starting monotherapy with PD for acute reversible pulpitis without visible or radiological abnormalities. PD was applied as 1-mL submucous injections into the mucobuccal fold, repeated daily as needed.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES:

Avoidance of invasive dental treatment (pulp capping, root canal therapy, tooth extraction) and remission of pain, measured on a 0-10 point scale (partial remission: reduction by > or =3 points; complete remission: reduction from > or =4 points to 0-1 points) during the 10-day follow-up period.

RESULTS:

Median pain duration was 14.0 days. The patients received a median of two PD applications (range 1-7). A total of 81% (n=26/32) of patients did not require invasive dental treatment, and 19% (n= 6) had root canal therapy. Remission status was evaluable in 24 patients. Of these, 63% (n = 15/24) achieved pain remission, 58% (n = 14) remitted without invasive dental treatment (complete remission: n=12, partial remission: n=2), and 29% (n= 7) had a close temporal relationship between PD and remission (ratio "time to remission after first PD application vs pain duration prior to first PD application" <1:10).

CONCLUSION:

In this study of PD for acute reversible pulpitis, 58% of evaluable patients achieved pain remission without invasive dental treatment. The open-label pre-post design does not allow for conclusions about comparative effectiveness. However, more than one-fourth of evaluable patients remitted with a close temporal relationship between the first PD application and pain remission, suggesting a causal relationship between therapy and remission.

• Authors: Harald Johan Hamre, Inge Mittag, Anja Glockmann, Helmut Kiene, Wilfried Tröger
• Journal: Alternative therapies in health and medicine (Altern Ther Health Med) 2011 Jan-Feb Vol. 17 Issue 1 Pg. 16-21 ISSN: 1078-6791 [Print] United States
• PMID: 21614940 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Animals
• Cattle
• Cohort Studies
• Dental Care (methods)
• Dental Pulp
• Female
• Homeopathy (methods)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pain (etiology)
• Pain Management
• Pain Measurement
• Prospective Studies
• Pulpitis (complications, therapy)
• Single-Blind Method
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult