The dental pulp is connective tissue that lives protected inside the hard tissues of the tooth. When this soft tissue is exposed to trauma, caries, or damage (such as tooth fracture), the tissue is at risk of infection that will eventually proceed to pain and necrosis of the pulp. In permanent teeth, the current standard of care in situations of infected pulp tissue is to proceed directly to root canal treatment. But, remember the best treatment results happen in teeth that preserve the vitality of the pulp. Lately, a potential alternative has gained clinical popularity – vital pulp therapy. Vital pulp therapy (VPT) attempts to treat the infection without the complete removal of the dental pulp tissue. The purpose of this course is to explain the clinical procedures associated with vital pulp therapy, to discuss the specific cases where vital pulp therapy should and should not be used, and to touch on the success rates reported in current research.
Educational Objectives:
- Understand the indications and contraindications of VPT
- Discuss the clinical materials and procedures for VPT
- Review the advances in direct pulp capping materials and the evidence-based findings of prognosis after VPT
Instructor: Sierra Nunn, DMD
Dr. Nunn is an Assistant Professor at the University Of Kentucky College Of Dentistry serving as the Team Leader for Team 2 in the Comprehensive Care Clinic and seeing patients in the Faculty Practice Clinic. Dr. Nunn earned her dental degree from the University Of Kentucky College Of Dentistry in 2019 and she completed a one year post-grad training course in Endodontics at UKCD in June of 2021. She was previously a part-time faculty member at the University Of Kentucky College Of Dentistry in the Division of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Endodontics, and Division of Comprehensive Care. She is the course director for the first year Clinical Clerkships and provides coverage for the second year pre-clinical Endodontics course. Sierra resides in Lawrenceburg, KY with her husband and three children.
CDE Coursework Units: 2
Tuition: $69 (Due to the Joint Provider ship of this program with ACDE, UCSF Faculty and Staff discounts are not available.)
Cancellation/Refunds:
Tuition refund, less a $25 cancellation fee, will be issued only for cancellations received in writing at least 3 business days prior to the start date of the course. No refunds will be issued for late cancellations or no-shows. We reserve the right to cancel any course due to circumstances beyond our control; under those circumstances we will refund all course fee payments. Please be aware that UCSF School of Dentistry CDE is not responsible for reimbursement of nonrefundable airline tickets or any other travel expenses in the event that a course is canceled.
ACDE Joint Providership
This continuing education activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the standards of the ADA Continuing Education Recognition Program (ADA CERP) through joint efforts between University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and the Association for Dental Education (ACDE).