Aim To evaluate the biocompatibility and mineralized nodule formation of an experimental tricalcium silicate cement with tantalum oxide (TSC/Ta 2 O 5 ) as radiopacifier, Neo MTA Plus (Avalon Biomed Inc., Bradenton, FL, USA) and MTA (Angelus, Londrina, PR, Brazil) on human osteoblast-like cells (Saos-2). Methodology Biocompatibility was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and neutral red (NR) assays, after exposure of Saos-2 to cement extracts at 1 : 1, 1 : 2, 1 : 4 and 1 : 8 dilutions for 24 h. Bioactivity was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and calcium deposits were detected with alizarin red staining (ARS). Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance and Bonferroni or Tukey post-test (a = 0.05). Results The MTT assay revealed lower cytotoxicity for NEO and MTA (P < 0.05), and higher for TSC/ Ta 2 O 5 at 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 dilutions when compared to serum-free medium -control (P > 0.05). At 1 : 4 dilution, the TSC/Ta 2 O 5 cytotoxicity was similar to the control (P > 0.05). At 1 : 8 dilution, cell viability was significantly greater than the control (P < 0.05). Saos-2 cell viability performed using the NR assay at all dilutions revealed no cytotoxic effect of MTA, NEO and TSC/Ta 2 O 5 . ALP activity at 1 and 3 days was similar to the control (P > 0.05). TSC/Ta 2 O 5 had significantly greater ALP activity at 7 days when compared with the control (P < 0.05). All materials induced the production of mineralized nodules, and NEO produced significantly more mineralized nodules than MTA and TSC/Ta 2 O 5 (P < 0.05). Conclusions Neo MTA Plus and TSC/Ta 2 O 5 were biocompatible and induced ALP activity in Saos-2 cells. Both materials induced mineralized nodule formation by Saos-2 with Neo MTA Plus producing significantly more.

The handling of bone losses due to different etiologic factors is difficult and many techniques are aim to improve repair, including a wide range of biomaterials and, recently, photobioengineering. This work aimed to assess, through Raman spectroscopy, the level of bone mineralization using the intensities of the Raman peaks of both inorganic (~960, ~1,070, and 1,077 cm(-1)) and organic (~1,454 and ~1,666 cm(-1)) contents of bone tissue. Forty rats were divided into four groups each subdivided into two subgroups according to the time of sacrifice (15 and 30 days). Surgical bone defects were made on the femur of each animal with a trephine drill. On animals of group clot, the defect was filled only by blood clot, on group LED, the defect filled with the clot was further irradiated. On animals of groups biomaterial and LED + biomaterial, the defect was filled by biomaterial and the last one was further irradiated (λ850 ± 10 nm, 150 mW, Φ ~ 0.5 cm(2), 20 J/cm(2)-session, 140 J/cm(2)-treatment) at 48-h intervals and repeated for 2 weeks. At both 15th and 30th days following sacrifice, samples were taken and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. At the end of the experimental time, the intensity of hydroxyapatite (HA) (~960 cm(-1)) were higher on group LED + biomaterial and the peaks of both organic content (~1,454 and ~1,666 cm(-1)) and transitional HA (~1,070 and ~1,077 cm(-1)) were lower on the same group. It is concluded that the use of LED phototherapy associated to biomaterial was effective in improving bone healing on bone defects as a result of the increasing deposition of HA measured by Raman spectroscopy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate, clinically and histologically, the influence of laser and LED photobiomodulation in the healing of formocresol-induced oral mucosa ulcers of rats. We used 60 Wistar rats in which oral ulcers were induced on the gingiva of the lower incisors. Forty-eight hours after inducing the ulcers, the animals were divided into three groups: laser, LED, and untreated. Animals from the laser group received irradiation with GaAlAs, 660 nm, CW, 40 mW, φ 4 mm(2), 4.8 J/cm(2). Animals from the LED group received irradiation with InGaAIP, 630 nm, 150 mW, 4.8 J/cm(2), 0.8 cm spot. Forty-eight hours after oral ulcer induction, both irradiations were applied in a punctuate manner in the center of the ulcer at 48-h interval until the end of the experimental period. The animals were killed at 3, 5, 7, and 11 days after day 0. The results of the clinical evaluation showed that the laser and LED phototherapies were able to accelerate the healing of formocresol-induced oral ulcers, which occurred first in the laser group (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Histologically, there was a slight variation between LED and laser therapy; therefore, the laser group proved to be effective in accelerating wound healing, especially at 5 days, whereas the LED group was more effective at the end of the experimental period. It was concluded that laser and LED photobiomodulation were effective in accelerating the healing of formocresol-induced oral ulcers in both clinical and histological aspects.

The use of laser phototherapy on the root surface and at the entrance of the alveolus prior to replantation had a positive biomodulative effect on alveolar repair after tooth replantation in rats.