Table 3.

Characteristics of included studies

S. no.	Author and year	Study design	Sample size	Indirect pulp capping agent used		Outcome assessment
				Test groups	Control
1	Falster et al., 2002	Randomized controlled trial	48 (3–5 years)	Adhesive resin system scotchbond multipurpose	Dycal	Absence of spontaneous pain and/or sensitivity to pressure
						Absence of fistula, edema, and/or abnormal mobility;
						Absence of radiolucencies at the interradicular and/or periapical regions
						Absence of internal or external root resorption
2	Marchi et al., 2006	Randomized clinical trial	17 children	Glass ionomer cement	Calcium hydroxide	Absence of pathological root resorption
			Experimental group—15 teeth			Absence of periapical lesion
			Control group—12 teeth			Absence of pain and sensitivity
			Age group: 4–9 years			Absence of mobility
						Absence of fistula
						Absence of furcal radiolucency
3	Casagrande et al., 2008	Randomized controlled trial	48 primary molars	Adhesive resin system scotchbond multipurpose	Dycal	Absence of spontaneous pain and/or sensitivity to pressure
			3–5 years old			Absence of fistula, edema, and/or abnormal mobility
						Absence of radiolucencies at the interradicular and/or periapical regions
						Absence of internal or external root resorption
4	Casagrande et al., 2008	Clinical trial	40 primary teeth	Self-etching adhesive system	Dycal	Absence of spontaneous pain and/or sensitivity to pressure
			4–8 years old			Absence of fistula, edema, and/or abnormal mobility
						Absence of radiolucencies at the interradicular and/or periapical regions
						Absence of internal or external root resorption
5	Buyukgural et al., 2008	Clinical trial	240 primary teeth	Total-etching with 36% phosphoric acid followed by an acetone-based adhesive (prime and bond NT)	Calcium hydroxide	Remaining dentin thickness
			5–10 years old	A self-etch adhesive system (Xeno III)		Absence of clinical symptoms like spontaneous pain and/or sensitivity pressure/percussion, fistula and/or edema, abnormal mobility
				An acetone-based adhesive (prime and bond NT) without prior acid conditioning		Absence of radiolucencies at the interradicular an periapical regions
						Absence of internal or external resorption
						Marginal quality of restorations
6	Casagrande et al., 2010	Clinical trial	40 primary teeth	Self etching adhesive system	Dycal	Absence of spontaneous pain and/or sensitivity to pressure
			4–8 years old			Absence of fistula, edema, and/or abnormal mobility
						Absence of radiolucencies at the interradicular and/or periapical regions
						Absence of internal or external root resorption
7	Chutima et al., 2013	Single blinded randomized controlled trial	82 mandibular primary molars	3Mix-MP	Calcium hydroxide	Absence of fistula, swelling and mobility
						Absence of pain
						Intact lamina dura and absence of furcal radiolucency
						Absence of internal/external resorption
8	Mathur et al., 2016	Longitudinal interventional randomized control trial	90 teeth	GIC Type VII	Dycal	Mean dentin depth
			7–12 years	MTA
9	Rangel et al., 2017	Single-blinded randomized split-mouth clinical trial	Sample size: 80 patients 160 teeth	Biodentine	Light activated calcium hydroxide	Radiographic success
						Furcal radiolucency
						Internal/external root resorption
						Periradicular infection
						Absence of pain
						Absence of sensitivity to percussion
10	George et al., 2016	Clinical trial	Sample size—40	MTA	Dycal	Radiographic dentin thickness
			Age group: 5–9 years			Absence of root resorption
						Absence of PDL widening
						Absence of periapical radiolucency
						Absence of pulpal calcifications