WMTA, a cosmetic dentistry compound, has been associated in research with the triggering of a natural healing process in molars with exposed pulps.
The cosmetic dentistry compound WMTA could have more than an aesthetic effect, as it is linked with an increased rate of natural healing in damaged teeth. 
Research published in the International Journal of Dentistry notes the effect that WMTA – white mineral trioxide aggregate – can have on teeth with exposed pulps.
WMTA is the MTA variant intended for use in cosmetic dentistry, as it has a more natural tooth-coloured appearance than the original grey compound developed for a purely health-related application.
Now scientists at the Niigata University Graduate School of Medical & Dental Sciences note the process by which the cosmetic dentistry solution triggers the healing process.
They explain that osteopontin – which is induced by treatment with MTA – may play a role in triggering the natural healing of exposed pulps.
In research, the deposition of osteopontin in the pulpal matrix was seen as the first stage in the reparative process, followed by increased proliferation of cells and, in particular, odontoblast-like cells which were nestin-immunoreactive.
The peer-reviewed International Journal of Dentistry is published by the Hindawi Publishing Corporation and combines clinical studies, case reports and review articles covering all aspects of dentistry and oral health.
