Cellular Toxicity of Dental Restorative Materials on The Gingival Fibroblasts

Dental restorative materials (DRMs) have a vast market worldwide. Today, investigators are working on the new DRMs with well aesthetic properties, optical durability, well biocompatibility, and less toxicity. Anyhow, DRMs contain ingredients that release them into the interstitial gingival space and even the bloodstream. Hence, the DRMs ingredients toxicity is a concern in odontology. Researchers use the cell line models to explore DRMs toxicity in the in vitro environment. The human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) have been known for their use in basic odontology sciences for many years. Novel DRMs should be tested for their toxicity on the hGFs before evaluation in clinical trials. In this narrative review, we have presented various aspects of the DRMs toxicity for the hGFs. This review emphasizes that DRMs harbor low cytotoxic effects on the hGFs during a short-term period. DRMs cytotoxicity depends on the type of restorative composite and its ingredients concentration, the release of prostheses particles/ions into the hGFs environment. Other determinative factors for cytotoxicity potency of DRMs include the composite chemistry, its degradability, mechanical properties, and surface topography. Nonetheless, animal experiments and clinical trials should confirm the data from hGFs studies.