Evaluation of Concentrated Growth Factor and Blood Clot as Scaffolds in Regenerative Endodontic Procedures: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: Concentrated growth factor (CGF) is a promising scaffold in regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) for its abundant growth factors. However, no clinical study has evaluated the effectiveness of CGF compared with the conventional scaffold in REPs. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the success rate of CGF and blood clot (BC) as scaffolds in REPs.Methods: Immature permanent teeth diagnosed with pulp necrosis treated with REPs between 2012 and 2020 with a minimum of 6-month follow-up were included. These teeth were divided into the CGF and BC groups. Treatment outcomes were assessed using a combined clinical and radiographic scoring system. Preoperative and intraoperative data included tooth type, aetiology, capping materials, and restorative materials. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis at a significance level of 0.05.Results: A total of 121 teeth from 107 children were included. The CGF and BC groups included 53 and 68 teeth, respectively. The total success rate was 91.74% over a mean follow-up period of 23.15 months. There was no significant difference between the CGF group (86.79%) and BC group (95.59%). In both groups, a high proportion of teeth were scored 2 (increased root wall thickness and/or increased root length), and there was no significant difference in the scores between groups. The success rate of traumatic teeth (84.31%) was significantly lower than that of teeth with developmental dental anomalies (98.39%). Conclusions: CGF may be a suitable alternative scaffold in REPs when adequate bleeding cannot be achieved. Moreover, compared to developmental dental anomalies, traumatic teeth treated by REPs may be more vulnerable to failure.Trial registration: Retrospectively registered.