The biocompatibility and mineralization potential of mineral trioxide aggregate containing calcium fluoride-An in vitro study.

Background/purpose: MTA is used to induce hard tissue regeneration in various procedures. This study evaluated the biocompatibility and mineralization potential of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) containing calcium fluoride (CaF ₂ ). To verify if the change of components affected physical properties, the setting time, solubility, and surface roughness were measured.
Materials and Methods: Human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) were treated with powder and set MTA containing CaF ₂ (0, 1, 5, and 10 wt %) _. The proliferation of HDPCs was investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The mineralization potential of HDPCs was investigated with the relative gene expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen type I (ColI), osteocalcin (OCN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). For investigating the physical properties, setting time and solubility were tested. Surface profiles of material were analyzed by a non-contact surface profiler and a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Results: MTA-5% CaF ₂ mixtures increased the proliferation and the mineralization-related gene expression of HDPCs to a greater degree than pure MTA. The addition of CaF ₂ to MTA delayed the setting, but the difference was only significant in the MTA-10% CaF ₂ . Solubility and surface roughness was not altered.
Conclusion: The addition of more than 5% CaF ₂ can be considered to increase the regeneration potential of pulp cells without adverse effects on physical property.
Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
(© 2021 Association for Dental Sciences of the Republic of China. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V.)