Will your next filling be alive?

Do You Know? For patients.

Today's fillings replace lost tooth structure with man-made materials. Research is moving towards treatments that help the tooth repair itself.

What is already used

• Bioactive calcium silicate materials are already used to protect the nerve of a tooth and encourage it to lay down a new layer of dentine.

• Keeping part of the nerve alive (vital pulp therapy) is now an established option in selected teeth.

What is still in research

• Using the tooth's own stem cells, growth factors and scaffolds to regenerate pulp and dentine.

• 3D-printed and cell-based materials.

• These approaches are promising but are not yet routine treatments. Questions about long-term results and cost remain.

For now, the best way to keep a tooth alive is to treat decay early, before it reaches the nerve.

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This article is general information and not a substitute for an examination.

References

1. Sismanoglu S, Işık V, Ercal P. Regenerative dentistry: applications of bioactive materials in dentin-pulp complex. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1503:45-85. doi:10.1007/5584_2025_876

2. Li Y, et al. Efficacy of pulpotomy in managing irreversible pulpitis in mature permanent teeth. J Dent. 2024;144:104923. doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2024.104923