Melatonin and the Dental Pulp: A Scoping Review

TL;DR

This review explores melatonin's effects on dental pulp tissue and stem cells, suggesting it may aid in healing and cell growth in endodontics.

Contribution

The paper provides a systematic overview of melatonin's potential in endodontics, highlighting its effects on pulp tissue and stem cells.

Findings

Melatonin shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on dental pulp tissue.

Melatonin promotes odontogenic differentiation and may enhance hDPSC migration and proliferation.

Evidence is insufficient to determine optimal melatonin concentrations for dental applications.

Abstract

In general medicine, melatonin is known to enhance wound healing and promote stem cell differentiation. Its potential relevance in endodontics, however, remains underexplored.

This scoping review aimed to systematically assess the available evidence on the effects of melatonin (a) on dental pulp tissue and (b) on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs), particularly regarding cell proliferation and differentiation with regard to endodontics.

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science and Scopus from inception to July 1, 2025, using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH terms) and supplemented by hand searching and screening of major subject journals.

The initial search yielded 252 records, with one additional record identified through citation mining and relevant journal screening. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria: 11 investigated melatonin's effect on dental pulp tissue regarding anti‐inflammatory properties, treatment of pulpitis, wound healing and pulp capping and 11 examined its impact on hDPSCs in terms of cell proliferation and differentiation.

The limited evidence obtained from laboratory and animal studies suggests a dose‐ and time‐dependent influence of melatonin, though evidence is insufficient to establish optimal concentrations.

(a) Melatonin demonstrates anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant and anti‐fibrinolytic effects on dental pulp tissue. (b) Melatonin has potential as a stem cell modulator by promoting odontogenic differentiation and may improve migration and proliferation of hDPSCs.

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