This study aims to elucidate the clinical efficacy of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) and Bioceramic Materials in pulpotomy procedures for early-stage chronic pulpitis in deciduous teeth. The clinical data of 100 children with early chronic pulpitis in deciduous teeth treated at our institution between January 2021 and January 2023 were included retrospectively, which were divided into an experimental group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50) according to the treatment methods. Experimental group received pulpotomy with Thera Cal LC as bioceramic pulp-capping material versus control group with MTA as pulp-capping agent. Comparative studies were conducted to assess the clinical effectiveness and differences between both pulp-capping techniques. At 12 months postoperatively, the experimental group showed a significantly higher success rate than the control group (96.00% vs. 80.00%, p < 0.05). Post-treatment inflammatory markers (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-8 (IL-8)) were substantially lower in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significantly lower pain scores and higher comfort and satisfaction scores were obtained in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Experimental group adverse reactions were also lower in the experimental group (p < 0.05). TheraCal LC bioceramic material treats early chronic pulpitis in deciduous teeth effectively. Clinically, it is an excellent therapeutic option for emergence of permanent dentition, pain relief, comfort and improvement of patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) on pulpotomy in primary molars.
METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-three cases (310 teeth) of children with early pulpitis of primary molars admitted between February 2019 to February 2022 were enrolled, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Of them, 130 cases with 155 teeth treated with root canal treatment were set as the control group (CG) and 133 cases with 155 teeth receiving MTA pulpotomy were set as the observation group (OG). Clinical data such as efficacy evaluation, inflammatory factor levels, postoperative adverse reactions, and quality of life (QoL) were compared.
RESULTS: After surgery, the overall response rate in the OG was statistically higher than that in the CG, while the levels of inflammatory factors in the OG were significantly lower than those in the CG (all P<0.05). Moreover, the total incidence of complications was significantly lower in OG at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery (P=0.018, P=0.007, P=0.015, respectively). The QoL of the two groups differed insignificantly before surgery; however, after the treatment, the QoL in OG was significantly higher than those in the CG at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery (P=0.037, P=0.012, P=0.028, respectively). Moreover, the teeth location and treatment method were independent factors of efficacy (P=0.047, P=0.001, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: MTA pulpotomy outperformed root canal treatment for superior efficacy in children with early pulpitis of primary molars, with a positive effect on improving QoL, and patient prognosis.

The health of dental pulp tissue is critical to maintaining normal tooth function from the eruption of permanent teeth to the formation of the apex. The study evaluated the inflamed pulp response to the mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) after direct pulp capping with the mechanical pulp exposure in rats\' incisor. Forty-eight mandibular central incisors of twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats which were prepared with the cavities of one mm diameter, and the pulp exposures were randomly assigned into two groups: MTA group and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) group. The direct pulp capping was performed after three days and samples histological observations conduction within eight weeks. In both MTA and Ca(OH)2 groups, dentin -like structures were observed in the pulp tissues of some teeth. The number of teeth with reparative tissue in MTA group was statistically significantly higher than that in Ca(OH)2 group (p = 0.041). Inflammatory cell infiltration was found in the crown pulp tissues in two groups, and no statistical difference was observed between the two groups (p = 0.243). Pulp necrosis occurred in both groups, and there was no statistical difference between the two groups (p = 0.622). The results in this paper suggest that MTA promotes direct pulp capping and hence has certain potential clinical applications value in the treatments for the preservation of inflamed pulp.

OBJECTIVE: We performed this network meta-analysis to determine the comparative efficacy of formocresol (FC), ferric sulfate (FS), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), calcium hydroxide (CH), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), biodentine, and laser for pulpotomy of molar teeth.
METHODS: An updated search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before October 30, 2022, after screening previous meta-analyses. The Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool was used to appraise the methodological quality of included studies. Clinical and radiographic success rates were assessed as outcomes. Random network meta-analysis was performed by using STATA software (version 14.0) with \"network\" command.
RESULTS: A total of 43 RCTs were included. Network meta-analysis indicated that CH was inferior to other medicaments and techniques in all outcomes, and MTA and biodentine was better than FC, FS, and NaOCl in terms of clinical and radiographic success rates. Results of ranking probabilities suggested that MTA ranked first in all outcomes except for clinical success at both 6 months.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that MTA was associated with significant improvement in both clinical and radiographic success than other pulpotomy medicaments and techniques, with the highest probability of being the optimal option.
CONCLUSIONS: The current network meta-analysis determined the comparative efficacy and safety of 7 common pulpotomy medicaments in molar pulpotomy, including FC, FS, NaOCl, CH, MTA, biodentine, and laser, and the pooled results revealed comparable efficacy in clinical and radiographic success rates at 6 and 12 months between FC, FS, and NaOCl in primary molars pulpotomies. However, MTA, biodentine and laser may have more advantages than other pulpotomy medicaments for clinical and radiographic success. Therefore, in clinical practice, practitioners should select MTA, biodentine, or laser as pulpotomy medicaments in molar pulpotomy.

To retrospectively investigate the success rate of primary-molar pulpectomy performed under general anaesthesia and the potential risk factors that affect the 24-month success rate.
The case data and two-year follow-up records of children (aged 3-6 years) who received pulpectomy in primary molars performed under general anaesthesia were reviewed and assessed. Potential risk factors included age, gender, decayed-missing-filled teeth, endodontic diagnosis, tooth location, and postobturation sealing of the pulp chamber floor with MTA. With a two-year follow-up period, the outcomes of all the primary molars were classified into success and failure. Survival analysis was used to assess the outcomes. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyse the success rate. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to evaluate the potential risk factors associated with the overall survival of primary molars.
A total of 410 teeth from 163 children (88 boys and 75 girls) were included in this study. The overall two-year success rate was 66.1% for all primary molars. The mean overall survival time for this study was 22.1 (95% CI, 21.73‒22.48) months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that endodontic diagnosis (irreversible pulpitis or periapical periodontitis), tooth location (maxillary or mandibular primary molar), and postobturation sealing of the pulp chamber floor (MTA or no-MTA) were significant risk factors for overall survival in this study (P < .05). The differences in success rates were not statistically significant in terms of age, gender, and decayed-missing-filled teeth (P > .05).
When compared to teeth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis, those with periapical periodontitis failed more frequently. Postobturation sealing of the pulp chamber floor with MTA improved the success rate of pulpectomy in primary molars, especially when the inflammation did not spread to the periradicular area.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and effectiveness of pulpotomy in mature permanent teeth with bioceramic putty repairmen iRoot and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA).
METHODS: Pulpotomy was performed on mature permanent premolars and molars with carious exposures at the Department of General Dentistry of Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, from November 2017 to September 2019. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups, Group iRoot (n=22) and Group MTA (n=21). In Group iRoot, bioceramic putty repairmen iRoot was used as pulp capping agent, while in Group MTA, mineral trioxide aggregate was used as pulp capping agent. All the patients had signed informed consent forms. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by clinical examinations (temperature and electrical activity test) and imaging examinations 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Blinding was used for the patients and evaluators, but due to the obvious differences in the properties of the two pulp capping agents, the blinding method was not used for the treatment provider (the attending physician).
RESULTS: There was no significant difference in gender, average age, dentition and tooth position distribution between the two groups (P>0.05). In the study, 7 cases were lost to follow-up 12 months after operation (4 cases in Group iRoot, and 3 cases in Group MTA). One case in each of the two groups had transient sensitivity at the end of the 3-month follow-up, and the pulp vitality was normal at the end of the 6-month follow-up. One case in Group iRoot showed sensitivity at the end of the 12-month follow-up. The success rates of the two groups at the end of 12-month follow-up were 100%, and the cure rates were 94.4% (Group iRoot) and 100% (Group MTA), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). No cases in Group iRoot had obvious crown discoloration, while 3 cases in Group MTA had.
CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics and effectiveness of pulpotomy in mature permanent teeth with bioceramic putty repairmen iRoot were similar with MTA. Bioceramic putty repairmen iRoot is an acceptable material when used in pulpotomy of mature permanent teeth. Because it is not easy to cause tooth discoloration after treatment and is convenient to operate, bioceramic putty repairmen iRoot has a better clinical application prospect.

BACKGROUND: Regenerative endodontics aims to restore normal pulp function in necrotic and infected teeth, restoring protective functions, such as innate pulp immunity, pulp repair through mineralization, and pulp sensibility. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the dentin regeneration efficacy of direct pulp capping (DPC) biomaterials.
METHODS: The literature published between 2005 and 2021 was searched by using PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. Clinical controlled trials, randomized controlled trials, and animal studies investigating DPC outcomes or comparing different capping materials after pulp exposure were included in this systematic review. Three independent authors performed the searches, and information was extracted by using a structured data format.
RESULTS: A total of forty studies (21 from humans and 19 from animals) were included in this systemic review. Histological examinations showed complete/partial/incomplete dentin bridge/reparative dentin formation during the pulp healing process at different follow-up periods, using different capping materials.
CONCLUSIONS: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine can induce dentin regeneration when applied over exposed pulp. This systematic review can conclude that MTA and its variants have better efficacy in the DPC procedure for dentin regeneration.

This study aimed to evaluate the pulpal responses of monkey\'s pulp after direct pulp capping (DPC) with the novel mineral trioxide aggregate containing phosphorylated pullulan-based material (MTAPPL). Seventy-two teeth were randomly divided into four groups: MTAPPL; Nex-Cem MTA (NX); TheraCal LC (TH); and Dycal (DY). Histopathological changes in the pulps were observed at days 3, 7 and 70. On day 3, mild inflammatory responses were observed in the MTAPPL, no to moderate inflammatory responses in the TH, whereas moderate inflammatory responses in the NX and DY. No mineralized tissue formation (MTF) was observed in all groups. On day 7, no or mild inflammatory responses were observed in all groups. Initial MTF was observed except for DY. No inflammation with complete MTF including presence of odontoblast-like cells was observed in the MTAPPL, NX and TH groups at day 70. These findings indicate that MTAPPL could be an efficient DPC material.

Mineral trioxide aggregates (MTA) have been developed as a dental root repair material for a range of endodontics procedures. They contain a small amount of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) as a radiopacifier to differentiate adjacent bone tissue on radiographs for endodontic surgery. However, the addition of Bi2O3 to MTA will increase porosity and lead to the deterioration of MTA\'s mechanical properties. Besides, Bi2O3 can also increase the setting time of MTA. To improve upon the undesirable effects caused by Bi2O3 additives, we used zirconium ions (Zr) to substitute the bismuth ions (Bi) in the Bi2O3 compound. Here we demonstrate a new composition of Zr-doped Bi2O3 using spray pyrolysis, a technique for producing fine solid particles. The results showed that Zr ions were doped into the Bi2O3 compound, resulting in the phase of Bi7.38Zr0.62O12.31. The results of materials analysis showed Bi2O3 with 15 mol % of Zr doping increased its radiopacity (5.16 ± 0.2 mm Al) and mechanical strength, compared to Bi2O3 and other ratios of Zr-doped Bi2O3. To our knowledge, this is the first study of fabrication and analysis of Zr-doped Bi2O3 radiopacifiers through the spray pyrolysis procedure. The study reveals that spray pyrolysis can be a new technique for preparing Zr-doped Bi2O3 radiopacifiers for future dental applications.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate whether mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) can be modified with caffeic acid (CA) to form caffeic acid/mineral trioxide aggregate (CAMTA) cement and to evaluate its physicochemical and biological properties as well as its capability in immune suppression and angiogenesis.
METHODS: MTA was immersed in trishydroxymethyl aminomethane buffer with CA to allow coating onto MTA powders. X-ray diffractometry and tensile stress-strain tests were conducted to assess for physical characteristics of CAMTA and to evaluate for successful modification of MTA. Then, the CAMTA cement was immersed in simulated body fluid to evaluate its hydroxyapatite formation capabilities and Si release profiles. In addition, RAW 264.7 cells and human dental pulp stem cells were used to evaluate CAMTA\'s immunosuppressive capabilities and cell responses, respectively. hDPSCs were also used to assess CAMTA\'s angiogenic capabilities.
RESULTS: The X-ray diffractometry results showed that CA can be successfully coated onto MTA without disrupting or losing MTA\'s original structural properties, thus allowing us to retain the initial advantages of MTA. CAMTA was shown to have higher mechanical properties compared with MTA and had rougher pitted surfaces, which were hypothesized to lead to enhanced adhesion, proliferation, and secretion of angiogenic- and odontogenic-related proteins. In addition, it was found that CAMTA was able to enhance hydroxyapatite formation and immunosuppressive capabilities compared with MTA.
CONCLUSIONS: CAMTA cements were found to have improved physicochemical and biological characteristics compared with their counterpart. In addition, CAMTA cements had enhanced odontogenic, angiogenic, and immunosuppressive properties compared with MTA. All of the results of this study proved that CAMTA cements could be a biomaterial for future clinical applications and tissue engineering use.