Preclinical Evaluation and Clinical Trial of Chlorhexidine Polymer Scaffold for Vital Pulp Therapy

Objective: To evaluate the preclinical effectiveness and clinical efficacy of chlorhexidine polymer scaffold for vital pulp therapy. Study design: Polymer scaffolds loaded with chlorhexidine were prepared by electrospinning. The scaffolds were evaluated using four different tests: i) The release of chlorhexidine from the polymer scaffold was evaluated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); ii) Biocompatibility of chlorhexidine scaffold was tested by subcutaneous implantation in rabbits; iii) The scaffolds were implanted into human molars for further ex vivo histological evaluation; and iv) The clinical efficacy of the scaffold was evaluated as a pulp dressing following vital pulp therapy, in comparison with MTA (control) in a clinical trial of forty primary molar teeth in 34 children aged 6 to 8 years. Results: The scaffold was antimicrobial to Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli and other facultative anaerobes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of chlorhexidine and...