REPARATIVE HARD-TISSUE FORMATION FOLLOWING CALCIUM HYDROXIDE APPLICATION AFTER PARTIAL PULPOTOMY IN CARIOUSLY EXPOSED PULPS OF PERMANENT TEETH

In a prospective study, partial pulpotomy was performed on six permane nt molars with deep carious lesions and pulpal involvement. The bleedi ng pulp was irrigated with normal tap water until bleeding had stopped and the exposed pulp was covered with calcium hydroxide followed by z inc oxide eugenol, and finally covered with a semipermanent restoratio n. All teeth showed hard tissue barrier formation, both clinically and radiographically, within three months and were free from subjective a nd objective symptoms through the observation period (average observat ion period was 26 months). The patients also experienced the therapy p ositively. These findings and those of others have helped gain more re cognition for partial pulpotomy as a strong possible alternative thera py when pulps are exposed by deep carious lesions and a bleeding pulp is exposed during the excavation process. The rationale for this thera py is to remove the infected and/or inflamed pulpal areas beneath the carious lesion and disintegrated tissue. A rapid and simplified proced ure would allow the general practitioner to perform this procedure whe n necessary at dental clinics, without specialist facilities under con ditions that avoid unnecessary contamination of the pulp.