What is generally considered the current gold-standard material for dentinal bridge formation in modern clinical practice?

While calcium hydroxide was the traditional/historical gold standard, most current literature now favors MTA (and other bioceramic materials) as the preferred, more predictable choice for direct pulp capping and dentinal bridge formation in contemporary clinical practice, owing to its superior seal, biocompatibility, and more consistent hard-tissue bridge formation with less pulpal inflammation/necrosis compared to calcium hydroxide.