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BDS, MSc, PhD, Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Egypt

Lecturer of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry,

Faculty of Dentistry, Pharos University in Alexandria, Egypt

Clinical Outcomes of Vital Pulp Therapy: An Interplay Across Inflammation and Regeneration

Abstract:

Dental pulp is a unique tissue and its importance in the long-term prognosis of the tooth is often ignored by clinicians. The pulp initially responds to caries and irritation by becoming inflamed and, if left untreated, this will progress to pulp necrosis and infection. Over the past decade, there has been an alteration in the conception of executing the inflamed pulp.  Advancement in the regenerative materials have made preservation of the pulp a paramount conception of the routine vital pulp therapy strategies. However, the fact that the dental pulp has a restrict regeneration capacity by being encaged within the rigid mineralized tissue bounces numerous challenges. This is further complicated by the anatomical, physiological, and biological differences between the primary and the permanent dental pulps. Clinicians must have a thorough understanding of the physiological and pathological features of the dental pulp as well as the biological consequences of treatment intervention. This presentation will provide an overview of: a) the current status of the vital pulp therapy, b) the role of inflammation in dentin-pulp complex healing and repair, c) how pulp capping materials can modulate the balance between inflammation and regeneration by promoting an anti-inflammatory environment conducive to a regenerative process.