Harnessing the natural regenerative potential of the dental pulp

Biological solutions for the repair and regeneration of the dental tissues offer significant potential for improved clinical treatment outcomes. Translation of dental tissue-engineering approaches to the clinic will make considerable contributions to these outcomes in the future, but exploiting the natural regenerative potential of dentin-pulp to enhance wound-healing responses offers solutions for maintaining pulp vitality now. Strategies to harness the natural regenerative potential of the pulp must be based on a sound biological understanding of the cellular and molecular events taking place, and require careful consideration of the interplay of infection, inflammation, and regeneration.