Vital Pulp Therapy: Saving Teeth One Pulp At A Time!

Steve, an 8-year-old child had a fall and chipped one of his front teeth. He visited the dentist who immediately fixed his tooth with vital pulp therapy. Luckily, he managed to save the tooth and kept the tooth alive with regular following up on Steve.

What is Vital Pulp Therapy?

Vital pulp therapy is a treatment aimed at keeping a tooth alive. But what does it mean when a tooth is alive? The innermost part of your tooth, known as the pulp chamber, contains your tooth’s nerves, blood vessels and other tissues. Blood flow through the area keeps the pulp and nerves healthy. In simple terms, it is the heart of your tooth. Therefore, once the area is compromised, it is the main concern to save the pulp to keep your tooth alive. The pulp chamber is within the crown portion of the tooth. On the other hand, the portion of this chamber which extends down to the roots is called the root canal.

Image source

When should vital pulp therapy be carried out?

Vital pulp therapy can only be carried out after a diagnosis is confirmed by the dentist. To come up with a diagnosis, your dentist has to examine the tooth and carry out further tests such as x-ray to determine the condition of the tooth. It is important for the dentist to determine if the tooth is capable of healing. Some situations where vital pulp therapy would apply include:

• When there is a deep decay approaching the pulp but with absence of any sign or symptoms of pulp degeneration
• When there is a pinpoint exposure of the pulp encountered during filling procedure or due to a traumatic injury
• In a baby tooth with extensive caries but not involving the roots

How is vital pulp therapy carried out?

In most situations, vital pulp therapy is similar to a normal filling procedure. A protective liner is placed on the surface of the exposed pulpal area, which acts as a protective barrier between the filling material and the innermost pulp. Depending on the type of material used, the liner helps to stimulate healing and repair within the tooth. A filling is then placed on top to provide a seal from the oral cavity. As long as the tooth remains sealed from bacterial contamination, it is possible to stop the decay thus protecting the tooth from dying. Thus, it is important to have regular check ups to ensure the filling and tooth are in good condition.

Image source

When is vital pulp therapy not indicated?

Not all teeth can be saved with vital pulp therapy. For example, when a decay or trauma has extensively damaged the tooth structure, vital pulp therapy is not advisable. This is because harmful bacteria have already progressed into the pulp chamber and extended into the root canal system. The nerves and blood supply to the tooth will most likely be compromised thus a barrier placed on the top will not remove the source of infection. Hence, in these situations, your dentist may suggest other treatments such as root canal treatment or extraction.

How does it differ from root canal treatment?

In root canal treatment, infected tissues including the blood and nerve tissues are removed from the pulp chamber entirely. Hence, the tooth is now considered dead as there is no blood supply or any nerve endings. You will not feel any sensation such as pain or sensitivity from the tooth after the root canal treatment is completed.  On the other hand, vital pulp therapy preserves the nerves and blood supply thus you will still be able to feel sensation from the tooth. Occasionally, vital pulp therapy may progress into a root canal treatment if the prognosis is deemed fair to begin with.

Conclusion

Depending on the situation of your tooth, your dentist may be able to save it by carrying out vital pulp therapy. However, there is also a chance that your tooth may not survive for a long period of time if it does require vital pulp therapy. Your dentist is the best person to seek for any advice if you have any concern. Therefore, visit your dentist regularly to keep your teeth at their best condition.

If you need to consult a Dental Surgeon: call, send an enquiry or book an appointment on GetDoc.

Find a Dental Surgeon in Malaysia, on GetDoc

Find a Dental Surgeon in Singapore, on GetDoc

Tags

• filling
• Oral Health
• teeth
• vital pulp therapy