Comparative Analysis of Calcium and Hydroxyl Ion Release from Pulp Dressing Materials in Pulpotomized Premolars

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the time-dependent release of calcium (Ca⁺⁺) and hydroxyl (OH⁻) ions from 3 different pulp dressing materials used to cap root canal orifices in pulpotomized premolars. MATERIAL AND METHODS Freshly extracted (n=40) premolars were subjected to standardized pulpotomy procedure and finally restored in 5 groups using resin-modified glass ionmmer liner (RMGI) and bonded resin composite directly against the pulp chamber's floor (Control, G2) and over 3 different orifices' capping materials - Dycal (G3), Endo Sequence root repair material (ESRRM, G4), and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Angelus (G5). Another 10 sound premolars served as the Reference group (G1). The restored teeth were incubated at 37±1°C in sealed containers filled with deionized water to assess Ca⁺⁺ and OH⁻ ions release after 24 h and at 1, 4, and 8 weeks. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's comparisons at alpha=0.05 were used to statistically analyze the collected data. RESULTS Two-way ANOVA revealed significant differences in Ca⁺⁺ ions between test groups at different testing time intervals (P<0.05). Despite the constant (Tukey's, P<0.05) pH levels (OH⁻ release), Group 5 specimens exhibited higher Ca⁺⁺ ion release in comparison to Groups 4 and 3 at different testing timepoints (Tukey's, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Although all the assessed pulp dressing materials had equivalent and stable pH levels, ESRRM and MTA-Angelus had the highest Ca⁺⁺ ion release at the assessment intervals.