Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Vital Pulp Therapy Using Resin-Modified Versus Conventional Calcium...

Area of Science:

• Endodontics
• Dental Materials Science
• Regenerative Dentistry

Background:

• Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is an alternative to root canal treatment for deep caries.
• Resin-modified calcium silicate-based materials (RM-CSMs) offer handling advantages but their biological efficacy is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze clinical and radiographic outcomes of VPT using RM-CSMs versus conventional non-resin-modified calcium silicate-based materials (NRM-CSMs).

Main Methods:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science up to October 2025.
• Included randomized clinical trials on indirect/direct pulp capping or pulpotomy.
• Meta-analysis for TheraCal LC; risk of bias and certainty of evidence assessed.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in short-term (90/180 days) clinical-radiographic success between RM-CSMs and NRM-CSMs.
• A non-significant trend favored NRM-CSMs at 360 days.
• Significantly lower dentine bridge formation observed with TheraCal LC at 360 days.

Conclusions:

• RM-CSMs offer comparable short-term VPT success but have long-term biological limitations.
• NRM-CSMs are preferred for predictable dentinogenesis and maximal bioactivity.
• Further research needed on long-term reparative outcomes of RM-CSMs.