Proliferative activity of cells from remaining dental pulp in response to treatment with dental materials.

BACKGROUND: The biological examination of pulp injury, repair events and response of dental pulp stem cells to dental restorative materials is important to accomplish restorative treatment, especially to commonly used dental materials in paediatric dentistry, such as glass ionomer cement (GIC) and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)(2)) lining cement.

METHODS: Healthy patients aged between 9 to 11 years with carious primary molars without pulp exposure were selected and divided into two groups: Group 1 (teeth restored with GIC) and Group 2 (teeth lined using Ca(OH)(2) and restored with GIC). The proliferative activity of stem cells of teeth between these two groups was compared using colourimetric cell proliferation reagent, alamarBlue. Immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry confirmation were performed using mesenchymal stem cell markers, CD105 and CD166.

RESULTS: The proliferative activity using alamarBlue assay showed that cells derived from the remaining dental pulp of exfoliated deciduous teeth were positive for CD105 and CD166 and exhibited no difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that the use of Ca(OH)(2) or GIC as a lining material in indirect pulp capping procedures has the same effect on cells derived from the remaining dental pulp of exfoliated deciduous teeth which have responded favourably to the restorative treatments.