Comparative chemical properties, bioactivity, and cytotoxicity of resin-modified calcium silicate-based pulp capping materials on human dental pulp stern cells

Objectives This study investigated the cytotoxicity, the residual monomer release, degree of conversion (DC), calcium ion (Ca2+) release, and crystal structure of TheraCal PT (ThPT) by comparison with TheraCal LC (ThLC) and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Materials and methods The cytotoxicity of the cured materials was evaluated on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) isolated from third molars by the water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) method. The monomer release and DC of the resin-containing materials were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. The chemical composition and Ca2+ release of the materials were determined by scanning electronic microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), respectively. Statistical differences were evaluated with one-way ANOVA, repeated measure ANOVA, and the Tukey test (p < 0.05). Results MTA showed significantly lower cytotoxicity than either ThLC or ThPT after 1, 3, and 7 days (p < 0.05). TEGDMA release of ThPT is significantly higher than ThLC (p < 0.05). All materials showed calcium Ca2+ release, with MTA significantly higher than the others (p < 0.05). Conclusions MTA showed low cytotoxicity and high Ca2+ release compared to ThLC and ThPT.

Automated summary

The study compared the cytotoxicity, residual monomer release, degree of conversion, calcium ion release, and crystal structure of TheraCal PT (ThPT), TheraCal LC (ThLC), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). The results showed that MTA had lower cytotoxicity and higher calcium ion release compared to ThLC and ThPT.