Incorporation of amoxicillin-loaded microspheres in mineral trioxide aggregate cement: an in vitro study

Modified Mineral Trioxide Aggregate—A Versatile Dental Material: An Insight on Applications and Newer Advancements

Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) has been a material of revolution in the field of dentistry since its introduction in the 1990s. It is being extensively used for perforation repairs, apexification, root-end filling, obturation, tooth fracture repair, regenerative procedures, apexogenesis, pulpotomies, and as a pulp-capping material because of its desired features such as biocompatibility, bioactivity, hydrophilicity, sealing ability, and low solubility. Even though its application is wide, it has its own drawbacks that prevent it from reaching its full potential as a comprehensive replacement material, including a long setting time, discoloration, mud-like consistency, and poor handling characteristics. MTA is a material of research interest currently, and many ongoing studies are still in process. In this review, the newer advancements of this versatile material by modification of its physical, chemical, and biological properties, such as change in its setting time, addressing the discoloration issue, inclusion of antimicrobial property, improved strength, regenerative ability, and biocompatibility will be discussed. Hence, it is important to have knowledge of the traditional and newer advancements of MTA to fulfill the shortcomings associated with the material.

Local Drug Delivery Systems for Vital Pulp Therapy: A New Hope

Vital pulp therapy (VPT) is deliberated as an ultraconservative/minimally invasive approach for the conservation of vital pulpal tissues, preservation of dental structure, and maintenance of tooth function in the oral cavity. In VPT, following the exposure of the dental pulp, the environment is prepared for the possible healing and probable refunctionalisation of pulpal connective tissue. However, to succeed in VPT, specific biomaterials are used to cover and/or dress the exposed pulp, lower the inflammation, heal the dental pulp, provoke the remaining odontoblastic cells, and induce the formation of a hard tissue, i.e., the dentinal bridge. It can be assumed that if the employed biomaterial is transferred to the target site using a specially designed micro-/nanosized local drug delivery system (LDDS), the biomaterial would be placed in closer proximity to the connective tissue, may be released in a controlled and sustained pattern, could properly conserve the remaining dental pulp and might appropriately enhance hard-tissue formation. Furthermore, the loaded LDDS could help VPT modalities to be more ultraconservative and may minimise the manipulation of the tooth structure as well as pulpal tissue, which could, in turn, result in better VPT outcomes.