الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Dentin and pulp, together constituting dentin–pulp complex, play vital roles in protecting and nourishing the whole tooth. (2) The vitality of the dentin–pulp complex will greatly affect the prognosis and survival of the tooth. The intact dentin provides a relatively closed environment for pulp, protecting pulp from the invasion of bacteria and other physical or chemical irritant. When dentin gets damaged, stimulus can pass through dentinal tubules to trigger the inflammation of pulp, or may even directly reach pulp when pulp is exposed. On the other hand, pulp in turn nourishes the surrounding dentin with moisture and nutrients to keep their degree of mineralization. Once pulp gets necrosis, dentin cannot get supply and will gradually get brittle, thus causing the fracture of tooth or discoloration of the tooth crown. (3-5) During dental restorations, the operation of cavity preparation may cause pulp exposure, thus pulp capping, as a common treatment technique, should be conducted ultimately aiming at protecting dental pulp from root canal therapy. In response to stimulus or dental pulp capping materials, reparative dentin is formed to maintain the integrity of dentin structure and seal the pulp cavity. (6) Direct pulp capping, as an important treatment procedure for pulp exposure, requires adequate protection of the exposed pulp tissue without sacrificing its vitality and functions, (7) and the capability to stimulate the cell-rich zone of the pulp to lay down a bridge of reparative dentin, which is also called reparative dentinal bridge. |