Light-cured composite resins found to be slightly cytotoxic finds Study

A group of researchers performed a study to determine the cytotoxicity of light-cured composite resins (Clearfil ES-2, Clearfil ES Flow, Filtek Supreme XTE, Grengloo, Blugloo, Transbond XT, and Transbond LR) then to assess leachable components in contact with human gingival fibroblasts (GFs) and to quantity detected bisphenol A (BPA).

Light-cured composite resin discs were immersed for 24 hours in gingival fibroblastic medium (n = 3 for each product) and in control medium (n = 2 for each product) contained in the plate. Cytotoxicity of the products (n = 95) was determined by the measure of cell viability using MTT assay after reading the optical densities of the plates. The analysis of leachable components was done by gas phase chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and detected BPA was quantified. The limit of quantification was 0.01 μg/mL. Statistical analyses were performed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 20 and Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U-tests were applied.

The Results of the study are as follows:

• Cell viabilities were between 85 and 90%.
• Many chemical compounds including trimethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and BPA were identified.
• The average concentrations were 0.67 μg/mL ± 0.84 in the control medium and 0.73 μg/mL ± 1.05 in the fibroblastic medium.
• Filtek Supreme XTE presented the highest concentration of BPA with 2.16 μg/mL ± 0.65 and Clearfil ES Flow presented the lowest with 0.25 μg/mL ± 0.35.
• No BPA was detected with Transbond XT and Transbond LR. Clearfil ES Flow, Filtek Supreme XTE, Grengloo and Transbond LR presented residual TEGDMA.

Thus, the researchers concluded that light-cured composite resins are slightly cytotoxic opposite GFs and release many components including BPA and TEGDMA. Clinical precautions should be taken to decrease the release of these monomers.

Reference:

Cytotoxicity evaluation of dental and orthodontic light-cured composite resins by Raoul Bationo et al. published in the Clinical and Experimental Dental Research.

https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.337