New hope for tooth pain: less drastic treatment works as well as root canal

This study tested whether a less invasive treatment called vital pulp therapy (VPT) works as well as standard root canal treatment (RCT) for saving teeth with severe pulp inflammation (irreversible pulpitis). 43 adults with painful, deep cavities participated. VPT removed only the inflamed pulp and used a special blood clot membrane to help the tooth heal, while RCT removed all pulp and filled the canals. After 12 months, both treatments had similar success rates in relieving pain and preventing infection.