Dycal therapy for pulp exposures

Teeth were intentionally subjected to pulp exposure and capped with Dycal for eventual microscopic evaluation. Peculiar to Dycal is the fact that the new bridge forms directly against the layer of Dycal because of the action of macrophages in removing the chemically cauterized tissue. The size and thickness of the pulp tissue at the site of exposure determine whether a pulp-capping procedure or a pulpotomy is the treatment of choice. A re-evaluation of the criteria for pulp-capping procedures is in order.