This course provides an overview of tissue responses to deep carious lesions, integrating recent studies with extensive evidence. The diagnostic criteria for distinguishing reversible from irreversible pulp inflammation will be critically discussed, emphasizing current clinical and biological perspectives.
Although pulpectomy is still widely considered the standard approach for teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis, histopathologic data suggest that it is often possible to identify the front of infection clinically, selectively remove only the diseased or infected tissue through a pulpotomy procedure, and protect the remaining healthy pulp with biocompatible and potentially bioactive materials. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the pulp’s response to caries, refine their diagnostic accuracy, and critically evaluate the rationale for selective versus non-selective caries excavation in light of current scientific evidence.
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The practical component provides step-by-step training in direct pulp capping, partial pulpotomy, and full pulpotomy. Hands-on exercises will be performed on specially designed VPT training tooth models, with emphasis on structured clinical protocols, strict aseptic technique, effective bleeding control, and precise placement of modern bioceramic materials.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently select and perform the most appropriate vital pulp therapy procedures in everyday clinical practice.
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Dr. Domenico Ricucci received his Degree in Medicine in 1982 and his Degree in Dentistry in 1985 from “La Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy. Since then, he has maintained a private practice limited to endodontics, while also directing a personal histopathology research laboratory focused on pulpal and periapical tissue responses to disease and treatment.
His main research interests include tissue reactions to caries, vital pulp therapy, biofilms in endodontic infections, causes of root canal treatment failure, pulp regeneration, and dental trauma.
Dr. Ricucci has authored 122 scientific papers and 24 book chapters, and is the author of the following textbooks/atlases: Patologia e Clinica Endodontica (2009); Endodontology: An Integrated Biological and Clinical View (2013), translated into Russian (2015), Japanese (2017), and Chinese (2019); and the recent Vital Pulp Therapy & Clinical Endodontics: A Biological Approach (2026).
His contributions to endodontic science have been recognized with the Grossman International Award from the French Society of Endodontics (2017) and the Louis I. Grossman Award from the American Association of Endodontists (2023).
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