Tissue response to caries. The issue of the depth of caries excavation. Facts and beliefs

– Etiology of pulp diseases:

- Superficial caries

- Caries in the spot stage

- Dental caries

- Deep caries.

– Histological events occurring in the pulp tissue below medium-deep caries lesions.

– Morphology of tertiary dentin and regressive changes in the odontoblast layer.

– The possibility that new odontoblasts can be formed from undifferentiated pulpal stem cells: fact or fantasy?

– Histological and microbiological events characterizing the transition from a “reversible” to an “irreversible” inflammatory state of the pulp.

– Clinical diagnosis of reversibility or irreversibility of pulp inflammation. How strict is the correlation between clinical and histologic diagnoses?

– The “selective excavation” concept. Critical analysis based on recent literature.

– Caries excavation: complete or incomplete

– Clinical protocols for “complete” or “non-selective” caries excavation.

– Treatment of deep cavities: contradictions and misconceptions

– Dense pigmented dentin: remove or leave on

– Do bacteria sealed in a cavity by a hermetic restoration become harmless?