A comparison of human dental pulp response to calcium hydroxide and Biodentine as direct pulp-capping agents

CONTEXT: Direct pulp capping involves the placement of a biocompatible agent on pulp tissue that has been inadvertently exposed from traumatic injury or by iatrogenic means. AIM: To compare the human pulp response to calcium hydroxide and Biodentine as direct pulp-capping agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pulp exposures were performed on the pulpal floor of forty human permanent premolars. The exposure sites were dressed with either Dycal or Biodentine as pulp-capping materials. After 45 days, teeth were extracted and processed for histological examination. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The histological data were subjected to Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: The dentinal bridges in teeth that were capped with Biodentine were significantly thicker (P < 0.0001) and more continuous (P = 0.0001) with less pulpal inflammation (P = 0.0044) in comparison to Dycal. CONCLUSION: Based on the result of this study, Biodentine can be suggested as the material of choice for direct pulp capping procedure instead of Dycal. However, further long-term follow-up in vivo human studies using Biodentine on cariously exposed pulpal teeth are warranted to derive a definite conclusion.