Application of CaO-P2O5-B2O3 Glass System on the Root Canal Treatment

The main objective of root canal therapy is to through mechanical and chemical cleaning of the entire pulp cavity and completes the occlusion with filling materials. It is obvious that the result of root canal therapy depends on their reduction or elimination of the microorganisms for lesions. However, total elimination of bacteria is difficult to accomplish. The complexity of the root canal system is the main challenge for any dentist undertaking root canal treatment. Nowadays, there is no commercial products can effectively seal dentin tubules. According to previous study in our laboratory, DP-bioglass has demonstrated 60μm of sealing depth in dentin tubules. The purpose of this study is to develop a CaO-B2O3-P2O5 glass system (BCP-glass) which can release more calcium ion and phosphate ion in order to seal dentin tubules. Furthermore, the glass system will be mixed with gelatin solution. Firstly, reaching the eutectic point through high temperature melting process, the BCP-glass powder is generated and mixed with 3% gelatin solution(G) and calcium hydroxide(CH) to mimic paste-like formation. Then, using the BCP-G-0.1CH paste on the human dentin disc model to observe the sealing ability. Finally, the biocompatibility of BCP-G-0.1CH paste is investigated. The results showed that BCP-glass powder with high P2O5 had been made successfully. The group of BCP-G-0.1CH paste demonstrated 70 μm of sealing depth in dentin tubules in 24 hours. Moreover, BCP-G-0.1CH paste also showed good biocompatibility in WST-1 and LDH assay. In conclusion, BCP-G-0.1CH paste has a potential of dentin tubules occlusion and provides a novel method in root canal therapy.