Which of the following is an example of tertiary prevention?

• A. Pulpal therapy
• B. Vaccination
• C. Oral health education
• D. Sealants

Answer: (A)

Tertiary prevention focuses on rehabilitating and restoring function after disease has already caused significant damage. Pulpal therapy does exactly that: when caries has reached the pulp and the pulp is inflamed or infected, removing or controlling the diseased pulp tissue through procedures like pulpotomy or pulpectomy aims to preserve the tooth and maintain its function. This is a rehabilitation effort to prevent tooth loss, aligning with tertiary prevention because the disease process has progressed beyond the point where prevention alone would suffice.

Vaccination, oral health education, and sealants are all geared toward preventing disease from occurring or developing further, which is primary prevention.