[Studies on the cytotoxicity of temporary relining materials in clinical use]

Temporary relining materials and surgical packs placed in a very intimate, direct contact to the adjacent epithelia or even wound surfaces are frequently used in dental and even more so in maxillofacial treatment procedures. Most of these materials, however, are not designed for this purpose; the results are inflammations and irritations. This study focussed on the cytotoxicity of the most frequently used temporary relining materials using the Erlangen ciliate test. This test method has been frequently used in various situations to determine the cytotoxic and cytostatic properties of substances and materials. It is based on liquid pure cultures of the eukaryotic monocellular organism "Tetrahymena piriformis". The sensitivity of these ciliates to cytotoxic noxae is rather similar to that of human and animal tissue cultures. Considerable differences in cytotoxicity have been observed.