Your dental pulp is incredibly important to your oral health. The pulp contains the nerves and blood vessels that keep your tooth alive and allow it to function properly. When your tooth is injured or decayed, the dental pulp can become exposed to harmful bacteria, causing it to become infected and die. If your tooth and dental pulp have sustained damage, our dentists may recommend resolving the problem and restoring your oral health with pulp capping.

Pulp capping is an endodontic treatment and is often recommended as an alternative to root canal therapy. This treatment works to protect the tooth by cutting the bacteria in your mouth off from your dental pulp and preserving your tooth tissues.

There are two main types of pulp caps:

• Direct Pulp Caps — Direct caps are recommended when decay or trauma has exposed the pulp and involve using a special material to seal the pulp chamber and prevent any further damage from occurring.
• Indirect Pulp Caps — Indirect caps are usually recommended when our dentists and team come close to exposing the dental pulp while removing tooth decay. An indirect cap will form a seal over the tooth to prevent pulp exposure from occurring and help protect the tooth from sustaining any further damage.

If you have any questions about pulp capping or if you want to schedule an appointment with our experienced dentists, please contact our office today.