Toxicity potentiation of two monomers [bisphenol-A-glycidyldimethacrylate (BisGMA) and urethanedimethacrylate (UDMA)] as well as two comonomers [triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA)], each in combination with H(2)O(2), was investigated on the viability on human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and human pulpal fibroblasts (HPF). The applied concentration of H(2)O(2) was 0.06 or 0.1 mmol/l, respectively, corresponding to the EC(0) of H(2)O(2) in HGF or HPF. The cell viability was assessed by the XTT test. From this test the half maximum effect concentrations (EC(50)) were calculated from fitted sigmoidale curves. EC(50) values were (HGF; mmol/l; mean +/- s.e.m.; n = 5): HEMA 11.9 +/- 0.9, TEGDMA 3.7 +/- 0.3, H(2)O(2) 0.36 +/- 0.04, UDMA 0.27 +/- 0.08, and BisGMA 0.11 +/- 0.03. No significant (P < 0.05) differences in the EC(50) values were observed when HGF was exposed to substances, as compared to HPF. No significant decrease of the EC(50) values was found when HGF or HPF, respectively, was exposed to HEMA or BisGMA in addition with H(2)O(2) up to the concentration of 0.1 mmol/l, as compared to those EC(50) values of each compound without H(2)O(2) addition. A significant decrease of the TEGDMA EC(50) value from 3.7 to 2.1 or 0.4 mmol/l, respectively, was found when cells were exposed to TEGDMA in combination with H(2)O(2) (0.06 or 0.1 mmol/l), as compared to that TEGDMA EC(50) value without H(2)O(2) addition. A significant decrease of the UDMA EC(50) value from 0.27 to 0.11 or 0.08 mmol/l, respectively, was found when HGF or HPF was exposed to UDMA in combination with H(2)O(2) (0.06 or 0.1 mmol/l), as compared to that UDMA EC(50) value without H(2)O(2) addition. The addition of H(2)O(2) (0.06 or 0.1 mmol/l) resulted in a toxicity potentiation of TEGDMA and UDMA, but not of HEMA and BisGMA, on HGF or HPF.