Defence reaction in dental pulp after pulp capping and partial pulpectomy in dogs.

The dental pulp was capped indirectly or directly, or partial vital pulpectomy was performed on the 12 functionally most important teeth of 24 beagle dogs. For pulp capping, calcium hydroxide was used, followed by zinc phosphate as a lining, and the preparation was restored with amalgam or composite material. Histological sections were prepared and examined for degree and type of pulp inflammation (hyperaemia, pulpitis, necrosis or gangrene). Degenerative changes of dental pulp (vacuolation, calcification, amyloid or hyaline changes) were also determined. For indirect pulp capping the width of predentine in crown and root dental pulp was measured, and for direct pulp capping and partial pulpectomy (vital pulpotomy) the width and quality of the dentinal bridge were graded. The radical method of partial vital pulpectomy of the coronal part of the dental pulp in dogs produced better quality and continuity of the dentinal bridge than the less radical method of direct pulp capping. This was particularly obvious in small single root teeth such as incisors.

Endodontic therapy in the veterinary patient.

Standard root canal therapy is more clearly described as conventional endodontics. Most modern endodontic treatment involves removal of the irreversibly damaged pulp followed by cleaning and shaping of the root canal space and subsequent filling, or obturation, with a semisolid material and a sealer. A general increase in awareness of the benefits of veterinary endodontics has created a rise in the demand for endodontic procedures that help to retain the teeth longer. This article on endodontic therapy includes endodontic anatomy, diagnosis of endodontic disease, pulpectomy techniques of access preparation, canal preparation and filling the canal, partial coronal pulpectomy, and treatment of the open apex. Familiarity of the techniques covered in this article and with advances in veterinary endodontics have become necessary for the veterinary dental practitioner.

Surgical repair of tusk injury (pulpectomy) in an adult, male forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis).

A 15-year-old male forest elephant housed in a zoo sustained a fracture of the right tusk that was 10 cm inside the cheek pouch, thus exposing the tusk canal. Treatment of the cavity by packing, topical application of antibiotics, and administration of various antiseptic preparations failed; however, the tusk grew. To treat the infected, growing tusks's root canal or pulp, surgery--comparable to a pulpectomy in man--was performed with successful results.