Preclinical effectiveness of an experimental tricalcium silicate cement on pulpal repair

Abstract Objectives To investigate the pulpal repair potential of an experimental zirconium-oxide containing tricalcium-silicate cement, referred to as ‘TCS 50’. Materials and methods The effect of TCS 50 on viability, proliferation, migration, and odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp cells (HDPCs) was assessed using XTT assay, in-vitro wound healing assay and RT-PCR, respectively. Additionally, the pulp-capping potential was evaluated using a vital human tooth model. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and post-hoc test (Mann-Whitney U test). The tests were performed at a significance level of α = 0.05. Results The effect of TCS 50 towards HDPCs was dose dependent. Undiluted TCS 50 extract showed no immediate adverse impact on cell viability (p > .05); however, it significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of HDPCs (p   .05), and it significantly enhanced odontoblastic differentiation of HDPCs (p  Conclusion TCS 50 is capable of generating an early pulp-healing reaction and therefore could serve as a promising pulp-capping agent.