The effect of hyperglycemia on pulpal healing in rats

Diabetes mellitus (DM) may impede healing of dental pulps. In this study, the effect of hyperglycemia on pulpal healing was determined in exposed rat pulps capped with mineral trioxide aggregate. Two groups of 11 rats received injections of saline (control group) or streptozotocin to induce hyperglycemia (DM group). The pulps of the maxillary first molars of all rats were exposed and capped. Intact teeth and teeth with exposed pulps without restorations served as positive and negative controls, respectively. Histologic samples were prepared and evaluated for dentin bridge formation and pulpal inflammation. Data were analyzed by using Fisher exact, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation tests. Dentin bridge formation was inhibited in diabetic rats (p = 0.029) along with more inflammation in these pulps (p = 0.005). There was an inverse association between dentin bridge formation and inflammatory cell infiltration (p = 0.001). Based on these results, it appears that hyperglycemia adversely affects pulpal healing in rats.