Abstract

CASTELLANOS-COSANO, L. et al. Preventive endodontics: pulp protection using stepwise caries removal procedure. Av Odontoestomatol [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.5, pp.245-252. ISSN 2340-3152.

The treatment of deep dentine carious lesions in permanent teeth has included, generally, complete removal of affected dentin in a single session, including soft demineralized dentin, regardless of the regenerative potential of dental pulp. One complication often linked to this attitude is the pulp exposure, in many cases ending in root canal treatment. Several studies have shown that the elimination of deep dentine caries in stages, in two visits to several months apart, protects the pulp, reducing the frequency of pulp exposures, while allowing the development of tertiary dentin, with the consequent decrease in the percentage of cases requiring endodontic treatment. This article discusses the state of knowledge and scientific evidence on this topic.

Keywords : Dental caries; dental pulp; dentinogenesis; preventive endodontics; pulp capping; reactionary dentin; reparative dentin; stepwise excavation.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )