Objective: To perform a literature review on the clinical and/or laboratory performance of the use of calcium hydroxide in deep cavities of primary teeth. Method and Materials: Literature in professional journals and summaries of BBO, LILACS, and MEDLINE databases (2000 to 2010) linked to the Virtual Health Library and PUBMED were searched. The search strategies used included the following descriptors: "dental caries" and "dental cavity lining" and "primary tooth", "dental cavity lining" and "primary tooth" and "calcium hydroxide", "dental caries" and "dental cavity lining" and "primary tooth" and "calcium hydroxide". The abstracts were selected according to the following inclusion criteria: published between 2000 and 2010, English language, trial and/or laboratory studies or literature review, regarding the use of calcium hydroxide in deep cavities of primary teeth. The abstracts analysis was performed by two reviewers separately. Potentially relevant studies available in full were analyzed based on criteria for quality assessment and displayed on an evidence-based table. Results: After reading the abstracts (N = 39), six were selected as a basis for developing the study. Conclusion: Analysis suggests that calcium hydroxide is an interesting alternative in the control of caries lesions of primary teeth with the possibility of significantly increasing the success of indirect pulp capping; however, it should not be considered a determining factor in the success of a restorative procedure. Keywords: calcium hydroxide, dental cavity lining, dental caries, primary tooth