Critical appraisal: approaches to caries removal: what the clinical evidence says

Every day in the United States, complete caries removal in vital, asymptomatic teeth with deep carious lesions ends in unavoidable exposure of the pulp. As a result, the complexity and cost of treatment increases dramatically and many patients are left with extraction as their only viable option. This review appraises evidence which supports alternative treatments designed to preserve the vitality of the tooth and thus avoid extraction.