Tunable chitosan-calcium phosphate composites as cell-instructive dental pulp capping agents

Abstract

Dental cavities are the most prevalent, preventable disease worldwide providing a need for robust treatment options to restore both the form and function of decaying teeth. Here is a presentation of a possible regenerative pulp capping agent that can serve to restore tooth function while regenerating healthy dentin tissue over a long period of time. To achieve this goal a material needs to crosslink quickly, be structurally rigid, and support the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells contained within the dental pulp. In this study, calcium phosphate nanoparticles were embedded in polymer hydrogels of carboxymethyl-chitosan and a diglycidyl ether. The particle size, surface, and mechanical properties of these materials were characterized. These composites have moduli up to 3 MPa, support the culture of dental pulp stem cells more than 3 weeks and exhibit osteogenic potential even without osteogenic media. These composites demonstrate a promising potential as the next generation of pulp capping materials.

Keywords:

• Dental filling
• dental composite
• regenerative
• tissue scaffold
• pulp capping
• dental pulp stem cells

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge financial support from Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and the Colorado School of Mines Foundation.

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest to declare.