The success rate of endodontic treatment is lower than expected, and is both time-consuming and expensive. Thus, techniques to enable a clinician to avoid it deserve more attention. Indirect pulp treatment (IPT) is a simple and effective treatment to preserve pulp vitality in teeth with deep carious lesions. Scientific data supports this treatment as means to preserving a healthy, vital pulp. Parole chiave: deep caries lesion, endodontic treatment, IPT, pulp vitality preservation