Biocompatibility of Calcium Hydroxide - Based Root Canal Sealers: A Histological Study

Biocompatibility has been defined as the ability of a material to function in a specific site, in contact with host tissues but without inducing any undesirable local or systemic reaction.The aim of this study is to evaluate the biocompatibility of calcium hydroxide-based endodontic sealers and to compare it with a resin-based material, by measuring the degree of inflammation induced by these products after subcutaneous implantation in rats. We used 12 animals divided in 3 study groups and 1 control group; implants with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA), AH26 and Sealapex were placed in subcutaneous tissue and histological evaluation was carried out after 7, 14 and 21 days. We obtained comparable results between MTA and Sealapex, which demonstrates that these materials have similar degrees of biocompatibility. Based on this experimental study, calcium hydroxide containing cements express similar biocompatibilities. Further clinical studies are necessary in order to evaluate the healing properties and apical seal of these materials.