Direct pulp capping is a dental procedure defined as the placement of a restorative material, often medicated, in contact with a pulp cavity that has been exposed by trauma, mechanical cavity preparation or excavation of carious tissue in close proximity to the pulp. The rationale behind pulp capping treatment modality is to increase the survival of injured pulp and to encourage the underlying pulpal tissue to initiate formation of a dentine bridge to close and protect the exposure site. Several materials have been tested to observe their effect on the dental pulp. Calcium hydroxide (Dycal(R)) with success rate of 82% in pulp capping is used most frequently by dental practitioners. Despite the clinical acceptance, Dycal with high alkalinity (pH = 11-12) may risk pulp morbidity and apical lesions or alternatively the build up of excessive reparative dentine with obturation of pulp chamber and diminished success of subsequent root canal treatment. Recently biomedical researchers have characterized and made available potent physiological molecules with properties desired in pulp capping medicaments. The idea of using growth factors as pulp capping medicaments is investigated with an animal model to test the hypothesis that by application of growth factors into the injured dental pulp, the inflammatory response would be limited, the tissue regeneration would be accelerated and the deposition of mineral dentine would be closer to physiologic quality. The objective is to replace the current medicament, Dycal, with a physiologic molecule that can potentiate tissue regeneration with a predictable efficiency and improve the prognosis of pulp capping in teeth of all age.
Hu, C C; Zhang, C; Qian, Q et al. (1998) Reparative dentin formation in rat molars after direct pulp capping with growth factors. J Endod 24:744-51 |