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Primate pulpal healing after exposure and TheraCal application
Mark Cannon1, Nate Gerodias, Ana Viera
1Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. mark-cannon@att.net
The Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry
|January 10, 2015
Summary
TheraCal LC and Portland cement effectively promote hard tissue bridge formation in primate pulp capping, showing superior results compared to glass ionomer and calcium hydroxide. These materials offer promising outcomes for healing bacterially contaminated pulps.
Area of Science:
- Dental materials science
- Regenerative endodontics
Background:
- Pulp capping aims to preserve pulp vitality by stimulating reparative dentin formation.
- Bacterial contamination poses a significant challenge to successful pulp capping outcomes.
- Evaluating novel biomaterials for pulp regeneration is crucial in restorative dentistry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of a new light-cured resin-based dicalcium/tricalcium silicate material (TheraCal LC) against pure Portland cement, resin-based calcium hydroxide (VLC Dycal), and glass ionomer cement (GIC) for pulp capping.
- To assess the healing response of bacterially contaminated primate pulps treated with different capping agents.
Main Methods:
- Four primates underwent pulp exposure in 12 teeth each, followed by bacterial inoculation.
- Pulp capping agents, including TheraCal LC, Portland cement, VLC Dycal, and GIC, were applied to exposed pulps.
- Teeth were restored and samples collected after 4 weeks for histological analysis, including demineralization, sectioning, and staining.
- Micro-computed tomography (microCT) was used to analyze hard tissue bridge formation in select samples.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in pulpal inflammation were observed among the groups.
- TheraCal LC and Portland cement demonstrated significantly more frequent and thicker hard tissue bridge formation compared to GIC and VLC Dycal.
- Pulpal necrosis occurred more frequently in the GIC group.
- MicroCT analysis confirmed complete hard tissue bridge formation with TheraCal LC and Portland cement.
Conclusions:
- TheraCal LC is effective in promoting dentin bridge formation with acceptable levels of inflammation in primate pulp capping.
- Both TheraCal LC and Portland cement show superior performance in hard tissue regeneration compared to traditional materials like GIC and VLC Dycal.
- These findings support the potential of TheraCal LC as a viable option for pulp capping procedures.
