## 2 Materials and Methods
### Interventions  
After the administration of the local anesthesia (Lidocaine-adrenaline 20 mg/0.01 mg/mL, Egis, Budapest, Hungary) and a mouth rinse with 0.2% chlorhexidine, the tooth was isolated with a rubber dam and liquid dam (Opaldam, Ultradent, South Jordan, UT, USA). The crown was disinfected with a cotton pellet soaked in 5% NaOCl, and under an operative microscope (Flexion, CJ-Optik GmbH & Co. KG, Asslar-Werdorf, Germany), caries was non-selectively removed. The affected enamel was removed using a high-speed diamond bur (558, Jota, Ruthi, Switzerland) with copious irrigation. Subsequently, the gross caries was removed with a steel bur in a slow handpiece from the periphery. The absence of carious dentine on the non-pulpal walls was confirmed using a caries indicator (Sable Seek, Ultradent, South Jordan, UT, USA). The cavity was flushed with NaOCl to decrease the bacterial load as the pulp chamber approached. During bulk caries removal, the stainless-steel bur becomes contaminated by bacteria. Under microscopic magnification, the pulp is generally well visualized, enabling careful cleaning around it while preserving a very thin layer of dentin above. To minimize the risk of pulp contamination, this final layer was removed using a sterile high-speed diamond round bur (801 LFG.012--Medium, Jota, Ruthi, Switzerland). In cases of accidental pulp exposure during bulk removal, the procedure was continued as a partial pulpotomy, given that the exposure occurred in a contaminated environment. After pulp exposure, different treatment types were used depending on the pulpal status. 1. Direct pulp capping:  
Direct pulp capping was applied in the case of no symptoms (i.e., normal pulp) or symptoms of reversible pulpitis when there were no dentine chips in the pulp wound, no signs of necrosis in the pulp, and controllable bleeding within 5 min and the pulp was surrounded with healthy dentine. After an inspection of the surgical field, the cavity was irrigated with 5 mL of 2.5% NaOCl. A sterile cotton pellet soaked in 2.5% NaOCl was pressed against the exposed pulp to achieve hemostasis. The cotton pellet was removed after every minute to monitor the bleeding time for up to 5 min. After the bleeding stopped, sterile saline was used to flush NaOCl out of the cavity. Biodentine or MTA+ (Cerkamed, Stalowa Wola, Poland) was mixed according to the manufacturer's instructions and applied with gentle pressure directly onto the pulpal wound. A random allocation was used using envelope randomization. For Biodentine, the entire cavity was filled with the material. MTA+ was applied in a 2 mm layer on the pulpal wound. Once the MTA+ had initially set, it was covered with glass ionomer cement (Ketac Molar; 3M ESPE, Seefeld, Germany) to seal the tooth temporarily. 2. Partial pulpotomy  
Partial pulpotomy was indicated when further caries excavation was required after pulp exposure or when dentine chips were present in the pulp wound. Additionally, partial pulotomy was performed in cases where the pulp was diagnosed as normal or reversibly inflamed but bleeding could not be controlled within five minutes after pulp exposure. After the pulp was opened, a 2-3 mm piece of coronal pulp tissue was removed with a sterile high-speed bur with water cooling. After an inspection of the surgical field, the cavity was irrigated with 5 mL of 2.5% NaOCl, and hemostasis was performed with gentle pressure on a sterile cotton pellet soaked in 2.5% NaCl for 5 min. After the bleeding stopped, sterile saline was used to flush NaOCl out of the cavity, and MTA or Biodentine was placed the same way as in the case of direct pulp capping. Complete pulpotomy was used for reversible pulpitis or normal pulp when anemic, necrotic tissue was found in the pulp or when bleeding could not be controlled within 5 min after partial pulpotomy. It was also applied in cases of spontaneous or constant pain/nocturnal pain. Complete coronal pulp tissue was excised to the orifice with a sterile high-speed bur and water cooling.