Evaluation of the biologic effects of dental materials using a new cell culture technique

The biological effects of seven dental cements--including zinc oxide-eugenol, EBA, silicate, zinc phosphate, silico-phosphate, polycarboxylate, and glass ionomer--and a composite resin were evaluated by a new cell culture technique. The agar overlay containing serum was proposed as a dentin model. The effects of thickness and serum concentration of the agar overlay on cell growth were studied and compared to in vivo findings. Some correlative phenomena between the cell culture results and in vivo data are presented.