Cytotoxicity of a calcium aluminate cement in comparison with other dental cements and resin-based materials

Abstract

The objective of this study was to compare the cytotoxic effects of a calcium aluminate cement with several currently used direct restorative materials. Specimens of three composites (QuiXfil, Tetric Ceram, Filtek Supreme), one zinc phosphate cement (Harvard Cement), one glass ionomer cement (Ketac Molar), and one calcium aluminate cement (DoxaDent), were used fresh or after 7-days’ preincubation in cell culture medium at 37°C, pH 7.2. PVC strips for ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity test were used as positive control and glass specimens as negative control. L-929 fibroblasts (5-ml aliquots, containing 3×10⁴ cells/ml), cultivated in DMEM with 10% FCS, 1% glutamine, and 1% penicillin/streptomycin at 37°C/5% CO₂ and trypsinized, were exposed to the specimens for 72 h. The cells were harvested, centrifuged, and resuspended in 500 µl DMEM and then counted in 500 µl DMEM for 30 s with a flow cytometer at 488 nm. The analysis of variance comparing the six materials showed different influences on L-929 fibroblast cytotoxicity (p<0.0001). The cytotoxicity of all specimens diminished with increasing preincubation time (p<0.0001). Fresh DoxaDent exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity, followed by QuiXfil. Ketac Molar showed the highest cytotoxicity. After 7 days of preincubation, Harvard Cement and Filtek Supreme demonstrated more cytotoxicity than the other materials (p<0.005).

• Biocompatibility
• cell culture techniques
• ceramics
• dental materials