A Go-To Material for Protecting the Pulp
Louis Sterling, DDS, a Staten Island-based solo practitioner and educator, recently spoke with DPS about his success using TheraCal LC—a versatile, easy-to-use pulp protectant and liner
Like many dentists with decades of clinical experience, Dr. Louis Sterling has seen firsthand the evolution of dental materials. “When I was in dental school at NYU, I was trained with materials designed for pulp capping and insulation under amalgams,” he explains. “But for the past 20 years, I’ve been doing direct restorations with resins only.” While Dr. Sterling has worked with several bases and liners compatible with today’s modern, esthetic composite materials, after reading an article that “extolled the virtues” of BISCO’s TheraCal LC, he decided it was time to try something new.
A Liner that Lives Up to its Promise
“BISCO is a good company, and their products are dependable,” Dr. Sterling says, factors that influenced his decision to begin working with TheraCal LC, a light-cured, resin-modified calcium silicate with a unique apatite stimulating ability.1 ,2, 3 Dr. Sterling was also enticed by TheraCal LC’s affordability relative to comparable products, calling it “very cost-effective.”
In the 2 years since he’s been using TheraCal LC in his private practice, it’s proven to not only be a reliable and economic choice, but a material that lives up to every expectation he had for direct and indirect pulp capping, and as a protective base/liner under composite restorations.
Dr. Sterling cites TheraCal LC’s ease of use as a primary reason why it’s become his go-to in recent years. “It’s thixotropic, fast and easy to apply, and it stays in place really nicely,” he says, lauding its controlled handling and precise placement—enabled by a proprietary formulation that resists dripping and slumping, as well as its convenient, small-tipped syringe delivery. He also appreciates that TheraCal LC is radiopaque, making it “highly visible” on x-rays, along with the fact that it can be light cured rapidly for immediate placement of the restorative material.
Preserving the Pulp
“I’m interested in success,” Dr. Sterling says. “If the product works as intended, I’m happy, my patients are happy, and in my opinion, that makes it a successful product.” One of the ways TheraCal LC works to keep Dr. Sterling and his patients satisfied is by protecting and insulating the pulpal complex.4,5 This is thanks to a unique formulation that, according to BISCO, offers significant calcium release*, 1 to stimulate hydroxyapatite and secondary bridge dentin formation2,3—creating a protective seal.4,6,7
TheraCal LC also has an alkaline pH that promotes healing and apatite formation.1,3 In Dr. Sterling’s experience, these benefits not only spare many of his patients the common problem of postoperative sensitivity, but also minimize the need for root canal therapy—for example, when there is deep decay that may or may not need root canal therapy. “TheraCal LC helps prevent these cases from progressing to the point where they require endo.”
“TheraCal LC is thixotropic, fast and easy to apply, and it stays in place really nicely.”
- Louis Sterling, DDS
A Versatile Choice
TheraCal LC also can be used as a liner under amalgams, cements, and other base materials, and as an alternative to calcium hydroxide, glass ionomer, RMGI, IRM/ZOE, and other restorative materials. It is also moisture tolerant8 —unlike calcium hydroxide, it features low solubility and will not wash out over time.
Lastly, TheraCal LC can be used with all etch techniques for optimal bonding and finishing of the restoration, and can be directly applied to the pulp exposure and used as a liner in the same prep. This versatility eliminates the need for separate products and saves valuable time during every restorative procedure.
References
*BISCO has, on file, the calcium release data for TheraCal LC.
1 ADA definitions for direct and indirect pulp capping at: www.ada.org/en/publications/cdt/glossary-of-dental-clinical-and-administrative-ter
2 Apatite-forming Ability of TheraCal Pulp-Capping Material, M.G. GANDOLFI, F. SIBONI, P. TADDEI, E. MODENA, and C. PRATI J Dent Res 90 (Spec Iss A):abstract number 2520, 2011 (www.dentalresearch.org)
3 Okabe T, Sakamoto M, Takeuchi H, Matsushima K (2006) Effects of pH on mineralization ability of human dental pulp cells. Journal of Endodontics 32, 198-201.
4 Sangwan P, Sangwan A, Duhan J, Rohilla A. Tertiary dentinogenesis with calcium hydroxide: A review of proposed mechanisms. Int Endod J. 2013; 46(1):3-19.
5 Savas S, Botsali M, Kucukyilmaz E, Sari T. Evaluation of temperature changes in the pulp chamber during polymerization of light-cured pulp-capping materials by using a VALO LED light curing unit at different curing distances. Dent Mater J. 2014;33(6):764-9.
6 Cantekin K. Bond strength of different restorative materials to light-curable mineral trioxide aggregate. J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2015 Winter;39(2):143-8.
7 Nielsen M, Vanderweele R, Casey J, Vandewalle K, USAF, JBSA-Lackland, TX. Mechanical Properties of New Dental Pulp-Capping Materials Over Time. J Dent Res 93(Spec Iss A): 495, 2014.
8 Gandolfi MG, Siboni F, Prati C. Chemical-physical properties of TheraCal, a novel light-curable MTA-like material for pulp capping. International Endodontic Journal. 2012 Jun;45(6):571-9.
To learn more and order TheraCal LC for your practice, visit bisco.com
