Dentin Autograft as a Pulp Capping Material: A Systematic Review

Vital pulp therapy focuses on maintaining pulp vitality and stimulating reparative dentinogenesis following pulp exposure. While conventional materials such as calcium hydroxide and mineral trioxide aggregate remain established options, there is growing interest in bioactive autograft and xenograft dentin-derived materials. This review evaluated five experimental studies across rat, canine, swine, and human models assessing the regenerative performance of demineralized bone matrix, treated dentin matrix hydrogel, xenogeneic demineralized dentin paste, and autologous demineralized dentin matrix. Key outcomes examined included inflammatory response, pulp tissue organization, dentin bridge formation, odontogenic marker expression, biodegradation characteristics, and the quality of regenerated dentin. All studies demonstrated preservation of pulp vitality and clear evidence of reparative dentin formation. Demineralized bone matrix induced organized dentinogenesis with reduced inflammation compared to calcium hydroxide. Treated dentin matrix hydrogel produced complete, thick dentin bridges with well-aligned odontoblast layers and biodegradation synchronized with new dentin deposition. Xenogeneic dentin paste formed physiologic dentin bridges within 4-8 weeks in canine models, closely mimicking natural dentin structure. Autologous dentin matrix in swine supported high-quality reparative dentin comparable to or better than Bioglass® and calcium hydroxide. Across studies, dentin-derived materials showed favorable biocompatibility, minimal inflammation, and strong inductive potential. These findings highlight their promise as regenerative alternatives to conventional pulp capping agents, though further standardized clinical trials are required to validate long-term effectiveness.