ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Maintaining pulp vitality is a major objective in restorative dentistry. Direct pulp capping (DPC) is considered a way to enhance pulp healing and induce reparative dentin. In the present study, 3 capping materials were used and compared in terms of promoting pulp tissue healing after mechanical exposure. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the reparative capacity of Biodentine™ (BD), TheraCal® LC and TotalFill® as DPC materials and to assess dentin bridge formation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The experiment required 3 groups (1-week group, 1-month group and 3-months group), each consisting of 24 fresh human premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons. A cavity was prepared on the buccal surface of each tooth and the pulp tissue was penetrated to a depth of approx. 1.0 mm. After exposure, hemostasis was obtained and the pulp-capping agents BD, TheraCal LC and TotalFill were applied. A final restoration with GC Fuji IX GP Fast (GC Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) was applied to each tooth to ensure an adequate coronal seal. Tissue samples were collected at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. The samples were demineralized, sectioned, stained, and histologically graded. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between TheraCal LC and both BD and TotalFill in terms of pulpal inflammation during the 3 capping periods, while BD and TotalFill showed comparable results, with no statistically significant difference between their results in the 3 capping periods. CONCLUSIONS: TotalFill a newly developed pulp-capping material, offers results comparable to BD in addition to its advantageous handling properties. Although TheraCal LC contains resin ingredients, given proper curing, it seems to be a successful material for DPC and offers superior handling properties.
