Background and objective. Glass-Ionomer (G.I.) restoratives are used to manage cervical tooth defects; however certain chemicals could leach out of the material and affect the adjacent gingival tissue. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the viability and attachment of human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) on both resin-coated and uncoated Equia fil G.I. restorative materials.
Materials and Methods. Two groups of G.I. disc specimens (n= 34 each) were constructed from Equia fil G.I. restorative by mixing the content of G.I. capsules, then injection into silicone molds, the material was left for setting before cutting the excess. Surfaces of group I specimens were coated with the accompanied protective Equia resin, while those in group II were left uncoated. HGECs were isolated and incubated with the constructed specimens. The cell viability was then assessed using both Methyl Tetrazolium (MTT) and Trypan blue dye exclusion (TBDE) assays. The micromorphology and the attaching ability of the isolated cells to specimens' surfaces were assessed using SEM. The surface roughness was measured and the chemical analysis of G.I. surfaces was also analyzed by energy disperse x-ray.
Results. Reduction in HGECs viability was noticed in contact with G.I. of both test groups. However, HGECs showed better viability and attaching ability to the resin-coated G.I. surface than were in presence of uncoated restorative.
Conclusion. Resin Coating preserves the cell viability and improves the attachment of HGECs on Equia fil G.I restorative surfaces. This finding, therefore, offers sound evidence to select such material in treating sub-gingival cervical tooth defects.