The overarching aim of the 3rd European Society of Endodontology (ESE) Research Meeting held in ACTA, Amsterdam on Friday the 26th October 2018 was to provide participants with an update on management of the deep carious lesion and vital pulp treatments (VPT). This theme was selected for the meeting due to significant current scientific interest in this area and because the maintenance of pulp vitality and the promotion of minimally invasive biologically based management strategies are of fundamental importance to the future of Endodontology. The principal objectives of the meeting were to understand the current evidence‐base and to highlight any gaps in knowledge related to carious tissue management and handling of the exposed pulp, to determine the priorities for future research and to develop a European endodontic research group by engaging practitioners, scientists and multicentred networks. Finally, the funding of future research in the deep caries and vital pulp area was to be considered and discussed. To that end a group of European leaders, both clinical and science‐based, actively working in the cariology, VPT and pulp biology fields made short presentations aimed at stimulating conversation, highlighting problems, establishing targets and developing consensus. A summary of the presentations are included below.