[Contemporary concept and clinical perspective of direct pulp capping therapy]

There are several trends in contemporary endodontics such as development of minimally invasive biologically based therapies, preservation of dental pulp in a healthy status with sustained vitality, prevention of apical periodontitis and improvement of long-term survival rates of teeth with pulpal disorders. As for the vital pulp therapy, direct pulp capping is a less invasive approach to keep the exposed dental pulp intact, which may improve the long-term treatment outcome employing a minimally invasive biologically strategy. With the recent progress in pulp biology, improvement of treatment modality and development of bioactive dental cements, great advancements have been achieved in direct pulp capping therapy. This review article focuses on the transition of indications, prognostic factors and future perspectives of direct pulp capping therapy, attempting to provide evidence and practical guidance for minimally invasive biologically based therapies of teeth with injured pulp.