Evaluation of a new Bioceramic material & Mineral Trioxide Aggregate as Pulp-capping Agents in Permanent Human Teeth.

Abstract

Vital pulp therapy in the form of pulp capping & pulpotomy has long been recognized as procedures aiming to maintain pulp vitality after caries exposure rather than removing it. This is particularly important in teeth in which roots have not been completely formed yet. Pulp capping procedures were first described by the application of a cap of gold foil to an exposed pulp by Pfaff. The selection of a pulp capping material is an important factor that influences the success of vital pulp therapy. An Ideal pulp capping material should provide sufficient sealing; possess good biocompatibility & strong antibacterial activity. It should also be capable of inducing the differentiation of dental pulp cells & the formation of reparative dentin. Numerous materials have been used throughout the years for pulp capping. Calcium hydroxide (CH) has been the gold standard in recent decades(1); however, calcium silicate materials (CSMs) have been used in more and more clinical applications since their development. Calcium hydroxide has some obvious drawbacks, including inflammation and necrosis of the pulp surface after pulp capping, high solubility in oral fluids, degradation over time, the formation of tunnel defects inside the dentin bridge, and low mechanical resistance, which might cause future microfiltration and failure of the treatment(2–4).