Cytotoxicity of dental alloys, metals, and ceramics assessed by Millipore filter, agar overlay, and MTT tests

Biocompatibility of dental materials is dependent on the release of elements from the materials. In addition, the composition, pretreatment, and handling of the materials influence the element release.This study evaluated the cytotoxicity of dental alloys, metals, and ceramics, with specific emphasis on the effects of altering the composition and the pretreatment.By using cells from a mouse fibroblast cell line and the agar overlay test, Millipore filter test, and MTT test, cytotoxicity of various metals, metal alloys, and ceramics for dental restoration were studied. Effects of altering the composition of a high noble gold alloy and of pretreatment of a ceramic-bonding alloy were also studied. In addition, the release of elements into the cell culture medium by the materials studied was measured using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer. The results of the MTT test were analyzed statistically using ANOVA and Scheffé test at a significance level of P <.05.Specimens manufactured from materials intended for dental restorations and handled in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions were ranked from "noncytotoxic" to "mildly cytotoxic" according to the agar overlay and Millipore filter tests. For the MTT test, no significant differences were observed between these materials and controls, with the exception of JS C-gold and unalloyed titanium. The modified materials were ranked from "mildly cytotoxic" to "moderately cytotoxic" in the agar overlay and Millipore filter tests and from "noncytotoxic" to "moderately cytotoxic" in the MTT test. Thus, cytotoxicity was related to the alloy composition and treatment. The release of Cu and Zn seemed to be important for the cytotoxic effect.Alterations in the composition and the pretreatment can greatly influence the cytotoxicity, and the results stress the importance of carefully following the manufacturers' instructions when handling dental materials.