The healing of phenolized pulp exposures

Abstract

The healing process of exposed human dental pulps has been reported previously by us. In that study the healing process was observed under 2 widely used medicaments, calcium hydroxide and zinc oxidee eugenol. It was found that the superficial portion of the pulp in contact with the calcium hydroxide was rapidly necrotized; within 4 weeks healing took place beneath the necrotic area with the appearance of a new odontoblastic layer and a new dentine bridge. Zinc oxideeeugenol did not necrotize the pulp tissue; however, it elicited an inflammatory reaction, which persisted throughout the course of the experiment. Pulp healing did not occur under zinc oxideeeugenol during the 12 weeks of the study. The question then arose whether or not the necrotizing action of calcium hydroxide was instrumental in promoting pulp healing. Since phenol is an escharotic drug, would its necrotizing action produce the same type of helaing under other capping as observed under calcium hydroxide? Good clinical results have been reported by phenolizing exposed pulp tissue before capping. Some clinicians use phenol before treating vital pulps with calcium hydroxide; however, there is no experimental evidence to substantiate its use. The next question was whether the use of phenol would reduce or enhance the beneficial action of calcium hydroxide in the process of pulp healing. In order to answer these questions, our original