Cytotoxicity of BioCal®-CAP: Comparative Analysis with Pulp Capping Alternatives

• Published in: International dental journal 2024-10, Vol.74, p.S117-S117
• Main Authors: Gundogdu, Esra Baltacioglu, Eyuboglu, Gunes Bulut, Gundogdu, Ramazan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0020-6539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2024.07.928

Direct pulp capping is a procedure involving the application of a material onto the exposed pulp surface to maintain its vitality and support its functional and biological roles. This study aims to explore the cytotoxicity of BioCal®-CAP, a light-cured pulp capping material, in comparison with commonly used resin-free pulp capping materials such as Biodentine®, MTA-Angelus®, as well as light-cured materials TheraCal-LC® and TheraCal-PT®. Material sample sizes were established to achieve a surface-to-volume ratio of 1.5 cm²/mL (ISO 10993-12:2012). Each material, in disk form was prepared under aseptic conditions following manufacturer guidelines and sterilised. Crystal violet cell viability assay assessed cytocompatibility of all materials at 24h, 48h, and 72h. A wound-healing assay examined cell migration after a 24-hour incubation with BioCal®-CAP or TheraCal-LC®. Statistical significance was established by Student's t-test. The study unveiled varying biocompatibility among materials, with TheraCal-LC® treated cells consistently exhibiting the lowest viability. Biodentine® and MTA-Angelus® displayed the highest viability, while BioCal®-CAP and TheraCal-PT® showed similar cytotoxic profiles. Particularly after 72 hours of treatment, no statistically significant difference was observed between BioCal®-CAP and Biodentine®, MTA-Angelus®, TheraCal-PT® (p>0.05 for all compared to BioCal®-CAP). TheraCal LC® demonstrated a significant decrease in cellular wound-healing ability compared to the control (p≤0.01) and BioCal-CAP® treatment (p≤0.01). Conversely, BioCal-CAP® had only a marginal effect on cell migration compared to control cells (p>0.05). While the findings are limited to in vitro settings, the similarity in the long-term cytotoxic response of BioCal-CAP®, Biodentine®, MTA-Angelus® and TheraCal-PT® suggests BioCal-CAP® could serve as an alternative in pulp-capping therapy.