Prevalence of pulp stones in a selected population in South-east Iran

Background: Pulp stones are calcified masses with unknown etiology in the dental pulp complicating access to the pulp and root canals during root canal therapy. Aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of pulp stones in patients referring to Kerman University School of Dentistry. Methods: This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 4413 teeth in 852 patients and 1052 bitewing and periapical radiographs. The patients were 3–60 years old and had been referred to the Kerman School of Dentistry for various reasons. Data were collected by radiographic evaluations and the use of a checklist and were then analyzed using SPSS version 19 and the chi-square test with the significance level set at 0.05. Results: The prevalence of pulp stones was estimated at 13.4% in the patients, significantly increasing with age (P=0.001). Most pulp stones were 12.2% in the maxilla and 10.4% in the mandible, indicating a significant difference between the two jaws (P=0.001). The highest prevalence of pulp stones was related to the permanent first molars. Most pulp stones were significantly higher in female subjects than in males (P=0.004), with no major difference between the left and right sides (P=0.07). No significant relationship was found between the prevalence of pulp stones with tooth restoration and dental caries (P=0.130). Conclusion: The prevalence of pulp stones increased significantly with age. In this study, the youngest participant was a 4-year-old male, and the oldest was a 60-year-old female.