Abstract
Summary. The maxillary molar pulps of gnotobiotic rats mono‐infected with a strain of Streptococcus mutans and maintained on a high sugar diet, were mechanically exposed and left open to the oral environment. No evidence of inflammatory cell infiltration of pulp tissue apart from superficial cells was observed. Seven days after pulpal exposure, necrosis was detected in the superficial layers of the pulp. After 28 days, the necrosis was more extensive, and repair, manifested by dentine bridge formation, was observed in only a limited number of teeth. The lack of inflammation and slow progress of necrosis in pulps left open to the oral cavity appeared to indicate that the test strain of Streptococcus mutans had limited pathogenicity to the pulp. These observations provide support for the practice of indirect pulp capping in deep carious lesions.
Published Version
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