Pulp Remains Viable Following Vital Amputation of the Mesio‐Buccal Root of the Maxillary Fourth Premolar in Dogs

V ital amputation of the mesio‐buccal root of the maxillary fourth premolar (P4) was performed bilaterally in 8 dogs. Histopathologic evaluation of the tooth structure revealed normal pulp in the remaining mesio‐buccal, mesio‐palatal, and distal roots and crown during a mean follow‐up period of 3.5 ± 1.9 months. Amputation site healing was characterized by a reparative dentin bridge produced by odontoid cells. Tunnel defects were observed in 13 of 16 (81%) dentin bridges. It is concluded that the pulp of a tri‐rooted, periodontal disease‐free tooth remains viable during a 6‐month period following vital root amputation. These results point to the intriguing possibility that this may also occur in humans, however, this needs to be directly tested in man. J Periodontol 1998;69:798–805 .