Biodentine
Pronunciation: by-oh-DEN-teen
A calcium silicate-based bioactive restorative material used in endodontics for pulp capping, perforation repair, and apical plug placement.
Full Definition
Biodentine (Septodont) is a tricalcium silicate cement with bioactive and biocompatible properties, marketed as a 'dentine substitute'. It has faster setting times than MTA (approximately 12 minutes) and comparable or superior biocompatibility, making it suitable for direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, furcation and lateral perforation repair, apical plug placement, and retrograde filling in endodontic surgery. Editors must note that Biodentine is a proprietary trade name and must be capitalised. It is sometimes used as a synonym for MTA in clinical documents, which is technically inaccurate as they are compositionally distinct; authors should be queried if they use the terms interchangeably. The generic descriptor is 'calcium silicate cement' or 'tricalcium silicate cement'.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalise as a trade name. Do not use interchangeably with MTA; they differ in composition, setting time, and handling properties. Prefer the generic 'calcium silicate cement' in non-brand-specific contexts.
In Context
- "Biodentine was chosen for direct pulp capping due to its favourable setting time and biocompatibility profile." — Vital pulp therapy case report
- "The manuscript uses 'Biodentine' and 'MTA' as though synonymous; the author should specify which material was used in each case." — Copy-editing query