Table 4. The 24 overarching outcome categories reduced from 83 outcomes assessed for similarity by small-group consensus.
| Overarching outcome categories | Number of similar outcomes | Similar outcomes |
| Clinical outcomes concerning primary teeth | ||
| 1. Adjacent tissues inflammation | 6 | Severe gingival inflammation/Changes in the mucous membrane in the surrounding area – appearance of surrounding tissue/Redness around the tooth-crown/Bleeding around the tooth or crown/Erythema/Inflammation in the adjacent tissues |
| 2. Defective restoration (clinically) | 4 | Partially or completely lost fillings/Perforated or lost final restoration/Defective restoration/Restoration intact |
| 3. Pain | 10 | Pain symptom/Spontaneous pain/Thermal sensitivity/Pain initiated by stimuli/Sensitivity to pressure/Tenderness to percussion/Chewing sensitivity/Sensitivity to sour/Sensitivity to sweet/Pain on palpation – palpation sensitivity |
| 4. Secondary caries at the margin (clinically) | 2 | Marginal integrity/Secondary caries at the margin |
| 5. Soft tissue pathology | 10 | Swelling/Edema/Soft tissue pathology-swelling/Extraoral swelling/Intraoral swelling/Infection in the adjacent tissues/Fistulation – fistula/Parulis/Abscess/Sinus tract |
| 6. Periodontal pocket formation | 1 | Periodontal pocket formation (exudate or no exudate) |
| 7. Dental anxiety/phobia* | 1 | |
| 8. Pathologic mobility | 1 | |
| 9. Premature tooth loss | 1 | |
| 10. Signs of exfoliation | 1 | |
| 11. Smell | 1 | |
| Radiologic outcomes concerning primary teeth | ||
| 12. Pathologic radiolucency | 19 | Pathologic radiolucency/Periapical radiolucency/Lateral radiolucency/Apical radiolucency/Involvement of the apical area/Radicular radiolucency/Periradicular radiolucency/Furcal –bifurcation radiolucency/Intra-radicular radiolucency/Bone radiolucency/Furcation involvement/Periapical bone destruction/Interradicular bone destruction/Abnormal inter-radicular trabeculation – variation in radiodensity/Periodontal ligament space widening/Integrity of lamina dura/Loss of trabecular bone/Abnormalities in the structure of trabecular bone/Bone regeneration |
| 13. Pathologic root resorption | 8 | Pathologic root resorption/Root resorption in relation to contralateral tooth/Internal root resorption/Internal root resorption-perforated form/Internal dentine resorption/External root resorption/Replacement resorption/Root resorption in relation to contralateral tooth with criteria established by Wright |
| 14. Pulp canal obliteration | 3 | Pulp canal obliteration – intracanal calcifications – canal calcifications/Calcific metamorphosis/Calcific degeneration of the pulp |
| 15. Defective restoration (radiographically) | 1 | |
| 16. Dentine bridge formation | 1 | |
| 17. Filling material anomaly | 1 | Excess filling material and its resorption |
| 18. Physiological resorption | 1 | |
| 19. Secondary caries (radiographically) | 1 | Recurrent caries |
| Outcomes concerning succedaneous permanent teeth | ||
| 20. Succedaneous tooth structural anomaly | 2 | Dental anomalies (e.g. hypoplasia of premolars)*/Succedaneous tooth structural anomaly (e.g. hypoplasia) |
| 21. Unerupted succedaneous tooth anomaly (radiographically) | 2 | Damage to succedaneous follicle/Deviated eruption of succedaneous teeth – position and eruption pathway of the permanent successor tooth |
| 22. Erupting succedaneous tooth mobility | 1 | |
| 23. Signs/symptoms of erupting succedaneous tooth | 1 | |
| 24. Succedaneous tooth position anomaly* | 1 | Problems in the developing occlusion (e.g. loss of space, mesial drift of first permanent molars, etc.) |
“…”–“…”: identical outcomes; “…” / ”…”: different but close outcomes.
*
outcomes retained in the Cochrane review by Nadin et al. [Nadin G, Goel BR, Yeung CA, Glenny AM (2003) Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev: CD003220.].