Medication of the dental pulp: a review and proposals

For years, dentists have desired to treat the intact dental pulp. Since it is well-known that many substances, including some drugs, are capable of permeating dentin, we believe it is possible to treat certain types of pulpitis by applying drugs at the base of cavity preparations. Useful drugs include local anesthetics to block pain transmission, glucocorticoids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIA) to treat inflammation, NSAIA or narcotic analgesics for pain control, and antibiotics to treat infection. The literature is reviewed and proposals are presented to study medication of the dental pulp.