Abstract:

Objective. To assess dentists’ awareness and use of vital pulp therapy for managing pulpitis.
Materials and Methods. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 378 dentists. A bespoke 17-item instrument was used; data were analysed statistically.
Results. Eighty-nine percent of respondents reported using vital pulp therapy, whereas 11% did not. Most dentists (85%) provide vital pulp therapy between once and five times per month. Use was more frequent among dentists with ≤5 years of experience and those with >25 years. For dentin wound conditioning after removal of infected dentin, the most common agents were normal saline (32.2%), 3% hydrogen peroxide (26.2%), and 2% chlorhexidine (20.6%). The most frequently selected pulp-capping materials were calcium silicate cements (59.4%), followed by calcium hydroxide cements (37.4%). Only 3% reported using platelet concentrates in practice, and none applied them for direct pulp capping in cases of pulpitis.
Conclusions. Bulgarian dentists are familiar with vital pulp therapy for pulpitis. Calcium silicate and calcium hydroxide cements remain the most commonly used materials, whereas autologous platelet concentrates have not yet been adopted for vital pulp therapy in routine practice.

Keywords: pulpitis; vital pulp therapy; pulp capping agents; platelet-rich fibrin (PRF); autologous blood–derived biomaterials; questionnaire survey