MATERIALE PLASTICE ♦53♦No.1♦2016 http://www.revmaterialeplastice.ro 6 In Vitro Study on the Sealing Ability of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate MONICA MONEA 1 , ALEXANDRA STOICA 1 , EDWIN SEVER BECHIR 1 *, ALEXANDRU BURCEA 2 , ANNA MARIA PANGICA 2 1 Medicine and Pharmacy University of Tirgu-Mures, Faculty of Dentistry, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Str., 540136, Tirgu-Mures, Romania 2 Titu Maiorescu University of Bucharest, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Dental Specialties, 67A Gheorghe Petrascu Str.,031593, Bucharest, Romania The success of an endodontic material depends on its sealing ability, as most post-treatment endodontic disease usually occur due to marginal leakage in the apical area of the root canal. The aim of our study is to evaluate the sealing ability of a Mineral Trioxide Aggregate-based endodontic sealer (ProRootMTA), compared to other frequently used materials, on extracted human teeth, using a dye penetration leakage test. The results showed a significant difference (p< 0.01) between ProRoot MTA and the other two sealers. Keywords: MTA, apical seal, marginal leakage, dye penetration An ideal endodontic material would have a series of qualities, such as adherence to tooth structure, efficient apical seal, stability in tissue fluids, antibacterial effect, induce mineralization, dimensionally stable, non- resorbable, radiopaque, and biocompatibility[1-3]. A number of materials have historically been used in endodontic treatments, but unfortunately, none of these have been able to satisfy the total requirements of an ideal sealer [4, 6]. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is a biomaterial derived from Portland cement that has been investigated for endodontic applications since the early 1990s. MTA has demonstrated to be highly biocompatible in contact with periapical tissues and able to form hydroxyapatite when exposed to physiologic solutions. Two forms of MTA materials are avaible: the traditional gray MTA (GMTA) and white MTA (WMTA), the letter being introduced in 2002 as ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Endodontics, Tulsa, OK, USA) for esthetic considerations. It contains less iron, aluminum, and magnesium oxides than GMTA [7-9]. In experimental and clinical investigations MTA has demonstrated many advantages: inhibition of bacterial infection, biological lock of root canals through periapical cement formation in root perforations and apical development of a hard tissue barrier [3-8]. The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate the sealing ability of ProRoot MTA material on extracted human teeth using dye penetration leakage test. For comparison we had used other sealers frequently used in every day dental practice, AH Plus and Endomethasone. The null hypothese tested was that there were no differences in the apical sealing ability measured in root canals filled with gutta- percha and these three endodontic materials. Experimental part We selected a number of 45 single-rooted human extracted teeth, divided into three experimental groups, each containing a number of 15 teeth. The root canals were prepared by standardized technique with manual endodontic files (fig. 1) and then filled by cold lateral condensation of gutta-percha cones and one of the sealing materials (ProRoot MTA, AH Plus or Endomethasone). The sealers were prepared according to the manufacturer’s instructions. ProRoot MTA white containing tricalcium silicate, dicalcium silicate, bismuth oxide and calcium sulfate was prepared by mixing one spoonful of powder with one drop of distilled water, to obtain a sandy consistence. AH Plus is an epoxy resin presented in a paste-paste system that are mixed together in equal cuantities: Paste A-epoxy resin, calcium tungstate, zirconium oxide, silica and iron oxide and Paste B- adamantine amine-N, N- dibenzyl – 5 oxononane-diamine-1,9,TDC-diamine, calcium tungstate – zirconium oxide, silica-silicone oil. Endomethasone was prepared mixing the powder (bismuth carbonate, barium sulfate, sodium borate anhydrous) with the liquid (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) in the given proportion. The teeth were prepared for the d ye penetration leakage test after 48 h, for the complete setting of the endodontic materials, during this interval being stored in deionized water at 37 0 C. The whole tooth except 3-4 mm around the apex was covered with two layers of nail polish and after that placed with the apical third in methylene blue solution for 24 h, long enough for the dye to penetrate all the gaps and irregularities between the root filling material and the dentinal walls. Then a longitudinal section was made along the root using a double face diamond disk under copious irrigation with water, obtaining two slices per tooth. The marginal leakage evaluation was done using scores and linear measurements. The prepared teeth for dye penetration test are presented in figure 2. Fig. 1. The endodontic tray used to prepare the root canals Fig. 2. Teeth prepared for dye penetration test * email: bechir.edwin@gmail.com; Tel.: 0723396969