Vital Pulp Therapy in Cats: 47 Cases (2009-2025)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Dentistry
• Endodontics
• Comparative Dental Medicine

Background:

• Vital pulp therapy (VPT) aims to maintain tooth vitality after pulp exposure.
• It involves removing affected pulp, applying a protective dressing, and sealing the tooth.
• Indications include complicated crown fractures (CCF) and traumatic malocclusion in feline teeth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the success rate of VPT in feline patients.
• To assess VPT as an alternative to extraction or root canal therapy for specific dental injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 47 feline teeth treated with VPT between 2009 and 2025.
• Utilized dental radiography and/or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) for follow-up.
• Mineral trioxide aggregate was consistently used as the pulp capping material.

Main Results:

• An overall success rate of 81% was achieved for VPT in the studied feline population.
• Teeth with CCF and pulp contamination showed a trend towards higher failure rates compared to traumatic malocclusion cases.
• VPT demonstrated efficacy in preserving vitality for feline teeth with recent trauma.

Conclusions:

• VPT is a clinically beneficial procedure for feline teeth with recent complicated crown fractures or traumatic malocclusion.
• Careful case selection and adequate follow-up are crucial for optimizing VPT outcomes.
• Further prospective research is recommended to refine VPT protocols and long-term results in veterinary dentistry.