Light cure calcium hydroxide
A light-cured calcium hydroxide liner is a thin dental material placed under a restoration to protect deep dentine near the pulp.
The short answer
Light-cured calcium hydroxide is a resin-based dental liner that is placed in a deep cavity preparation and hardened with a curing light before the restoration is completed. It forms a protective layer over dentine close to the dental pulp.
Why is protecting the dental pulp important in a deep cavity?
The pulp is the living centre of a tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. Calcium hydroxide materials are alkaline and can support a protective dentine response, while the resin matrix lets this type of liner be dispensed, shaped, and light-cured in a controlled layer.
How should you care for a tooth with this liner?
If this material was placed, keep the restoration clean and follow the normal instructions for the filling or crown. Report lingering spontaneous pain, pain that wakes you, or strong heat and cold pain because these symptoms may indicate pulpal inflammation rather than a liner problem alone.
When should pain or a damaged restoration be reviewed?
Return to the dentist if the temporary or final restoration feels high, breaks, or remains painful when biting. Urgent assessment is needed for increasing swelling, fever, pus, or severe toothache.
What should you ask about the liner and final restoration?
Ask how close the cavity was to the pulp, whether a liner was needed, and which material will cover it. Ask whether the tooth needs a permanent filling, an indirect restoration, or pulp treatment based on its symptoms and examination.
Frequently asked questions
Is light-cured calcium hydroxide a filling?
No. It is a liner beneath a filling or other restoration, not the main replacement for lost tooth structure.
Can a lined tooth still need root canal treatment?
Yes. If the pulp is irreversibly inflamed or infected, a liner cannot replace endodontic treatment.
Who wrote this page
This library is published by Dental Nation, a licensed dental group practising in the United Arab Emirates. Pages are written and overseen by the same clinical team that treats patients in our clinics, and are held to a fixed editorial standard for safety and accuracy.
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and cannot replace an examination. Anything urgent — facial swelling, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain — needs a dentist or emergency care now.