Diagnostics in the context of vital pulp treatment

Pulp and periapical disease initiate in the tooth crown and then continue through the root canal system. Historically, there have been different approaches to address inflammations in the vital pulp tissue, namely to either promote their healing without surgical intervention, to remove all the pulp, or to do anything in between. Clinical decision-making is hampered by uncertainty. We do not know where the infection is. We also do not know how virulent it is. This lecture will discuss these issues in the light of current evidence. Moreover, we will discuss how molecular diagnostics could lead to better targeted treatments.