Pulpal responses to bacterial contamination following dentin bridging beneath hard-setting calcium hydroxide and self-etching adhesive resin system.

To evaluate the pulp healing to bacterial contamination beneath a hard-setting calcium hydroxide (DY: Dycal, L.D. Caulk Co.) and a self-etching adhesive resin (2V: Clearfil Liner Bond 2V, Kuraray Medical Inc.) following dentin bridge formation. Class V cavities were prepared on 30 monkey teeth, and the pulps were exposed with a carbide bur through the cavity floor. Each exposed pulp was capped with either DY or 2V. The cavities were restored with a hybrid resin composite. The resin composite was removed at 180 days after capping, and then cavities were left open to the oral environment for 2 weeks to obtain bacteria contamination DY (BDY) and 2V (B2V; n = 10). A non-bacterial-contaminated group capped with DY was used as control. After bacterial challenges, inflammatory cell infiltration, incidence and differentiation of dentin bridges were evaluated histologically. There were significant differences in the presence of inflammatory cell infiltration among all groups (P < 0.05). No moderate or severe inflammatory reaction was found in Group DY. Group BDY showed moderate or severe inflammatory cell infiltration in 50%, and showed four necrotic specimens. Although no statistically significant difference was found in the formation and differentiation of dentin bridges among all groups, tunnel defects in dentin bridges were detected in 70% (DY), 80% (BDY), and 50% (B2V). Group B2V showed a significantly lower presence of inflammatory cell infiltration than Group BDY (P < 0.05). Bonding agent is supposed to seal the exposure site, and the remaining bonding agent on the cavities was effective as the barrier in the dentin bridges after bacterial challenges.