Pulp tissue reactions to a dentin bonding agent as a direct capping agent.

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Biomaterials
• Oral Biology

Background:

• Direct pulp capping is a clinical procedure to preserve pulp vitality.
• Dentin bonding agents are increasingly used in pulp capping procedures.
• Evaluating the biocompatibility of dentin bonding agents is crucial for clinical success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the histologic response of human pulp tissue to Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus (SMPP).
• To compare the efficacy of SMPP with Dycal as a direct pulp capping agent.
• To evaluate dentin bridge formation and inflammatory response.

Main Methods:

• Human premolar teeth with mechanically exposed pulps were used (n=16).
• Pulps were capped with either SMPP (n=10) or Dycal (n=6).
• Cavities were restored with composite, and teeth were histologically evaluated after 40 days.

Main Results:

• SMPP group: 8/10 showed moderate chronic inflammation, 1/10 severe inflammation, 1/10 no to slight inflammation. No dentin bridges formed.
• Dycal group: 3/6 showed incomplete dentin bridges with no to slight inflammation, 3/6 showed no to slight inflammation without dentin bridges.
• Histologic evaluation revealed significant inflammatory changes with SMPP direct capping.

Conclusions:

• Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Plus (SMPP) may induce inflammatory changes when applied directly to exposed human pulp.
• Dycal demonstrated a more favorable response, with some instances of incomplete dentin bridge formation.
• Further research combining Dycal with SMPP for sealing may be warranted, but SMPP alone is not recommended for direct pulp capping.