Progress of Conservative/Regenerative Endodontics

CE: 1.0 

Description: This presentation will review the progress of regenerative endodontics. The definition of regenerative endodontics will be clarified, as will be the term “revitalization” treatment. There are two categories of clinical approaches to regain vitalization of pulp. One is revitalization or also termed revascularization, which does not involve the delivery of processed stem cells into the canals. On the other hand, stem cell-based therapy involves implanting processed stem cells into the root canal space. This approach has shown the regeneration of pulp- and dentin-like tissues in the canal space from animal and human clinical trial studies, suggesting potential practice of true “regenerative endodontics” in the future. The various animal and human clinical studies have shown that the tissues developed in revitalization/revascularization procedures are fibrous connective tissue, some resembling periodontal ligament, not pulp-like, and the mineral tissue as cementum-like or bone, not dentin-like. One outcome regarding revitalization treatment is canal space obliteration by calcification, which accounts for a high percentage of such cases. 

At the conclusion, participants will be able to: 

• Describe the definition of “conservative endodontics” and revitalization/revascularization procedures.
• Describe the definition of “regenerative endodontics.”
• Describe the progress of “regenerative endodontics” in humans.