Trauma, rapidly progressing caries or over zealous removal of caries can result in exposure of the dental pulp. In these situations a direct pulp capping technique can be considered in an attempt to preserve the vitality of the pulp and to stimulate it to produce a calcific barrier to wall off the exposure. However, the health of the pulp and its healing capacity will depend on a number of factors, including the precipitating event leading to the exposure.