What Are Direct and Indirect Pulp Caps?

An indirect pulp cap is usually done to take  the place of a root canal in very decayed teeth.  It is made when most of the decay on the permanent tooth is removed.  When a dentist finds extensive decay very close to the pulp (nerve,) the risk of the pulp exposition by the infected decay is high.  This infection will result in the need for a root canal.  In this case dentists leave the last little bit of decay in there and place a sedative temporary filling.  Usually Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM) is used as a temporary filling material until the patient is ready for a proper, more permanent restoration. 

Researches proved: professional tooth scaling reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes

Professional tooth scaling was associated with fewer heart attacks and strokes in a study from Taiwan, presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011.

More than 100,000 people took part in the seven year study. Gender, age, and health conditions were all considered when accepting the participants. One half of them had their teeth professionally scarped and cleaned at least once a year, the other half had no tooth scaling.
None of the participants had a history of heart attack or stroke at the beginning of the study. Weight, smoking, and race were not adjusted in this research as they were not included in the Taiwan National Health insurance data base – the source of the information for the analysis.