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Gaining a Deeper Understanding to the Management of Deep Caries

On 4 February 2023, the Faculty hosted the second run of the Restorative Workshop Series titled “Management of Deep Caries – Vital Pulp Therapy or Root Canal Treatment”. Funded by SkillsFuture Singapore, the workshop which was offered by Dr Ode Wataru covered the basics of vital pulp therapy and how it could be applied in daily dentistry practice. Participants also gained the opportunity to translate their knowledge to practise at the Faculty’s simulation laboratory. 

Dr Ode Wataru sharing his knowledge and expertise on the management of deep caries.

As dentistry continues to evolve, clinicians must adopt changes to provide the best care for their patients. Dr Ode’s workshops focused on managing irreversibly inflamed pulp, which has garnered much interest in recent years. Traditionally, clinicians’ first line of treatment has been full pulpectomy and root canal treatment. This requires removing the entire pulp tissue and often demands multiple sessions. In recent years however, vital pulp therapy in mature teeth has garnered much interest and traction as a potentially conservative approach that preserves the vitality of the pulp and promotes healing. The approach is preferred to avoid removing the entire pulp tissue which leaves no room for the formation of new dentin.

A close-up image on Dr Ode’s demonstration on vital pulp therapy.

Unlike other treatments, vital pulp therapy can be completed in one session and only focuses on removing the affected tissue. This preserves the tooth's structural integrity and reduces risk of fracture. Under the guidance of Dr Ode, participants got the opportunity to apply knowledge gained at the workshop in the Faculty’s simulation laboratory.

Dr Eugene Tang applying techniques learnt at the workshop.

Vice President of Singapore Dental Association, Dr Eugene Tang Kok Weng, shared, “Being part of the ageing Singapore population, we should adopt healthy initiatives when opportunity knocks. Attending this course is a good way to keep us active mentally. Moreover, I know we will receive excellent content and guidance during the course if Dr Ode runs it. The best part of this course was the practical component, where we got to try different forerunner systems available in the market. I highly recommend this workshop to all.”