Review of the success of pulp exposure treatment of cariously and traumatically exposed pulps in immature permanent incisors and molars.

The decision to retain immature permanent tooth with pulp disease is problematical. Restoring the tooth would normally involve some form of pulp capping/pulpotomy procedure or a more radical pulpectomy and root canal treatment. Pulp capping/pulpotomy procedures, where all or part of the pulp is retained, relies upon an accurate assessment of the pulp condition, and the careful management of the remaining healthy tissue. Pulpectomy or root canal treatment is technically difficult as the root apex is open with the result that conventional preparation and filling techniques are compromised. On the other hand, the inappropriate extraction of immature teeth with pulp disease will result in immediate aesthetic and functional difficulties that may require the patient to have orthodontic or restorative care that will have potential life-long implications, e. g. removable or fixed prosthesis. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the aetiology of pulp disease in immature teeth and to review current evidence of the outcome of conservative pulp treatment.