Undetected microscopic pulp exposures in deep class II cavities.

: Exposure of the pulp may act as a great insult during preparations, so this study investigated the probability of clinically undiagnosed pulp microexposures. The axial wall of 30 deep class II preparations in human premolars was searched for any microexposure after extraction. Seven teeth (23.7 percent) showed some kind of exposure. It is concluded that approximately one-fifth of class II preparations with the remaining dental thickness (RDT) less than 0.5 mm may have a pulpal microexposure.