Reparative dentin formation resulting from cavity preparation

Thirteen different operative techniques were compared. The production of reparative dentin was evaluated with each technique and correlated with a previous study on extended or burn lesions produced by the same techniques.It was experimentally found that the Densco 300,000 r.p.m. air-water spray—No. 35 carbide bur technique, or a similar instrument, provided all the cutting efficiency of a high speed instrument without producing extended or burn lesions and caused the highest incidence of reparative dentin formation.But since the incidence of reparative dentin is so low with the above technique (33.3 per cent) and the biologic variation so great as to which teeth will be so inclined to produce reparative dentin, it is not practical for dentists to wait for reparative dentin to form. The reasonable procedure is to apply an adequate liner to the exposed dentinal tubules before cementation.It was also found that, other than the remaining dentin thickness value and the operative technique, no other factors influenced the reparative dentin formation (in specimens examined thirty days or longer postoperatively).