Preserving the vital pulp in operative dentistry: 2. Guidelines for successful restoration of unexposed dentinal lesions.

The exciting treatment possibilities arising from tissue engineering approaches are still some years away from involvement in dentistry. Meanwhile, it is important to optimize conventional treatments, although precise information on pulp responses to cavity preparation and restoration variables are limited. Odontoblast survival, pulp inflammation, and tertiary dentine area are used as measures of pulp injury and repair.