Success rates of preformed metal crowns placed with the modified and standard hall technique in a paediatric dentistry setting

Background The Hall Technique is a less invasive caries management technique for treating carious primary molars. It has become a routine treatment at specialists’ practices. Aim To retrospectively evaluate the clinical success and survival rates of preformed metal crowns placed on primary molars using the Hall Technique in a Paediatric Dentistry Setting. Design Patient records of children receiving Hall crowns (with or without proximal slicing) between 2011 and 2017 were reviewed. Teeth with no clinical or radiographic evidence of pulp involvement at baseline and at least six months’ follow‐up were included. Kaplan‐Meier survival analyses and Mantel‐Cox statistics were carried out. Results In total, 181 Hall crowns performed in 2‐ to 10‐year‐olds with a mean follow‐up period of 22 months were included for analysis. Mean d3mft/D3MFT was 6.55 ± 3.48/0.18 ± 0.66. The majority of crowns were successful (92.3%; n = 167), four presented at least one minor failure (2.2%; reversible pulpitis, crown lost, or secondary caries) and ten were major failures (5.5%; irreversible pulpitis or abscess). When comparing crowns performed with no tooth preparation to crowns performed with proximal slicing, no differences were observed (P = 0.70, CI = 0.68‐0.83). Conclusion The survival rate and clinical efficacy of Hall crowns were high in a secondary care‐based setting. The HT is an effective and less invasive management option for asymptomatic carious primary molars.