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 permanent molars with deep carious lesions and pulpal involvement. The bleeding pulp was irrigated with normal tap water until bleeding had stopped and the exposed pulp was covered with calcium hydroxide followed by zinc oxide eugenol, and finally covered with a semipermanent restoration. All teeth showed hard tissue barrier formation, both clinically and radiographically, within three months and were free from subjective and objective symptoms through the observation period (average observation period was 26 months). The patients also experienced the therapy positively. These findings and those of others have helped gain more recognition for partial pulpotomy as a strong possible alternative therapy when pulps are exposed by deep carious lesions and a bleeding pulp is exposed during the excavation process. The rationale for this therapy is to remove the infected and/or inflamed pulpal areas beneath the carious lesion and disintegrated tissue. A rapid and simplified procedure would allow the general practitioner to perform this procedure when necessary at dental clinics, without specialist facilities under conditions that avoid unnecessary contamination of the pulp.