The prevalence of pulp stones in a North Indian population: A retrospective panoramic radiograph study

Background: Pulp stones (PSs) are calcification within the pulp space formed as a physiologic or pathogenic response. Local and systemic factors are implicated in its occurrence. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PSs in a sample of the North Indian population using dental panoramic radiographs, and to report its association with age, gender, tooth class, dental arch, and restorative status of the teeth (restored/unrestored). Materials and Methods: A total of 500 panoramic radiographs were randomly sampled from the archived dental records of patients treated in the dental hospital from 2015 to 2021. 450 panoramic radiographs containing 10,007 teeth met the inclusion criterion and were evaluated for the presence of PSs. The frequency of occurrence of PS between age, gender, tooth class, dental arch, and restorative status of the teeth was also calculated. Results: PSs were detected in 128 (28.44%) out of the 450 patients, and 369 (3.68%) of the 10,007 teeth examined. A χ2 test of independence did not reveal any statistically significant association of PS with gender, age, and dental arch. The presence of PS was greatest in molars, and the results were statistically significant compared to all the other tooth types. The frequencies of PS were higher in the first molars (18.21%) than in the second molars (9.01%) when consolidated data for both arches were analyzed (P < 0.05). Carious/restored teeth displayed a statistically significant higher prevalence of PS than unrestored and intact teeth (12.95% vs. 10.32% prevalence rate as a ratio of total teeth examined). Conclusions: The etiology of PSs is not completely validated. Further studies are needed to establish the factors involved in PS formation and evaluate its association with systemic diseases.