PB-13 - The Biology of Pulpitis: Understanding Biological Processes That Underpin Therapy

Caries prevalence remains high throughout the world, with the burden of disease shifting to older and socially disadvantaged groups. If left untreated, caries will advance through dentine stimulating a progressive pulpitis and eventually pulp infection and necrosis; however, if conservatively managed pulpal recovery occurs even in deep carious lesions. As a profession and speciality, we should be striving to develop new biologically-based minimally-invasive solutions; however, to do so, an applied understanding of pulpitis and repair processes is critical. During this presentation we will discuss both the ESE position statement of ‘Deep Caries and the Exposed Pulp’ and also the ESE S3-level clinical guideline recommendations. During this talk we will consider amongst other things: How does the pulp respond to bacterial challenge? How localised is the inflammatory response? Could we consider utilising biomarkers expressed in pulp inflammation for diagnosis or repair?