Methodologies for preliminary assessment of the biocompatibility of endodontic materials: a review.

Abstract

This literature review discusses the objectives, importance and limitations of the experimental models and evaluation criteria used in preliminary studies of the biological compatibility of endodontic materials. It was ascertained that this is an important stage in determining the biocompatibility of materials and one which, within certain limits, allows the reaction of tissues directly involved in endodontic treatment to be predicted. However, the methodology used by these studies has not been standardized. The type of tissues investigated, the experimental periods observed and the methods used to analyze inflammatory response are considered fundamental requirements for designing experiments and understanding their results.