CYTOTOXICITY OF POTENTIAL RETROGRADE ROOT-FILLING MATERIALS

The cytotoxicity of potential retrograde root-filling materials was as sessed using the Millipore filter method. A light-cured glass ionomer cement, Vitrebond (VB), and three reinforced zinc oxide-eugenol cement s, Kalzinol, IRM and ethoxybenzoic acid (EBA) cement, were compared wi th amalgam. Twenty standardized pellets of each material, 10 fresh and 10 aged by storage in sterile distilled water for 72 h were produced. Ten filters were included as controls: five filters with a cell monol ayer, but without test specimens, and another five without cells but w ith test specimens. Fresh IRM exhibited the most pronounced cytotoxic effect and the difference was statistically significant compared with all the other materials. There was no statistically significant differ ence between fresh VB, Kalzinol, EBA cement and amalgam. When aged, Ka lzinol was the most cytotoxic and the difference was statistically sig nificant compared with the other materials. Aged IRM was the second mo st cytotoxic material and this too was statistically different. The cy totoxicity of VB, EBA, and amalgam did not differ significantly from o ne another.