الفهرس 
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Abstract
Dentin and pulp, together constituting dentin–pulp complex, play
vital roles in protecting and nourishing the whole tooth. (2) The vitality
of the dentin–pulp complex will greatly affect the prognosis and
survival of the tooth. The intact dentin provides a relatively closed
environment for pulp, protecting pulp from the invasion of bacteria
and other physical or chemical irritant. When dentin gets damaged,
stimulus can pass through dentinal tubules to trigger the inflammation
of pulp, or may even directly reach pulp when pulp is exposed. On the
other hand, pulp in turn nourishes the surrounding dentin with
moisture and nutrients to keep their degree of mineralization. Once
pulp gets necrosis, dentin cannot get supply and will gradually get
brittle, thus causing the fracture of tooth or discoloration of the tooth
crown. (3-5)
During dental restorations, the operation of cavity preparation
may cause pulp exposure, thus pulp capping, as a common treatment
technique, should be conducted ultimately aiming at protecting dental
pulp from root canal therapy. In response to stimulus or dental pulp
capping materials, reparative dentin is formed to maintain the
integrity of dentin structure and seal the pulp cavity. (6)
Direct pulp capping, as an important treatment procedure for pulp
exposure, requires adequate protection of the exposed pulp tissue
without sacrificing its vitality and functions, (7) and the capability to
stimulate the cell-rich zone of the pulp to lay down a bridge of
reparative dentin, which is also called reparative dentinal bridge.