TheraCal as the material of choice for direct pulp treatment compared to two other materials: MTA and biodentine

Abstract

Introduction: Direct pulp treatment is a procedure in which the exposed vital pulp is treated with a therapeutic material, it is sought to promote healing, maintain pulp vitality and protect the pulp. Objective: To prove that TheraCal is the material of choice as a coating for direct pulp treatment in terms of biocompatibility and cytotoxicity, solubility and clinical management, effects on the pulp, clinical and radiographic success in comparison with current materials used; MTA and Biodentine. Methodology: An electronic search was performed during September 2021 in the PubMed-MEDLINE database. Human or In vitro comparative studies evaluating biocompatibility, clinical and radiographic success were included. No restriction was applied to the date of publication. Case series and expert opinions were excluded. Keywords such as "Theracal", "direct pulp capping", "Biodentine", "MTA" and "vital pulp treatment" were used. Results: Only one article was found that discussed the toxic effects of TheraCal. TheraCal has very favorable effects on the pulp, as it could be observed to induce dentin formation, these effects are to some extent limited. The solubility of TheraCal is one of its strongest characteristics, and it is very useful in indirect pulp capping, but not very useful in direct pulp capping. In comparison with other materials, Theracal shows good results that are considerably successful, however, the MTA and Biodentine variants present better percentages and higher probabilities of success. Conclusion: Theracal cannot be considered as a first-choice material when performing direct pulp treatment.

Resin-based dental pulp capping restoration enclosing silica and portlandite nanoparticles from natural resources

“…The need to preserve the vitality of dental pulp in traumatized or carious teeth introduced the concept of designing vital pulp therapy. In this context, a ‘direct pulp capping’ procedure is performed, where the exposed vital pulp is cured using a special restorative material that should help to heal while maintaining the protection and vitality of the dental pulp 1 .…”

“…Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) had surpassed calcium hydroxide as direct pulp restoration, owing to its excellent clinical results 1 , 6 . MTA is a calcium silicate-based cement that is recommended for pulp capping therapy, root end, and root canal perforation restoration 7 , 8 .…”