Research Article Fabrication and Characterization of a Nanofast Cement for Dental Restorations Kh. Yousefi, 1 H. Danesh Manesh , 1 A. R. Khalifeh , 1 and A. Gholami 2 1 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, 71348-51154 Shiraz, Iran 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Correspondence should be addressed to H. Danesh Manesh; daneshma@shirazu.ac.ir and A. R. Khalifeh; areza1006@gmail.com Received 8 April 2021; Accepted 21 July 2021; Published 10 September 2021 Academic Editor: Romeo Patini Copyright © 2021 Kh. Yousefi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. This study was aimed at fabricating and evaluating the physical and bioproperties of nanofast cement (NFC) as a replacement of the MTA. The cement particles were decreased in nanoscale, and zirconium oxide was used as a radiopacifier. The setting time and radiopacity were investigated according to ISO recommendations. Analysis of color, bioactivity, and cytotoxicity was performed using spectroscopy, simulated body fluid (SBF), and MTT assay. The setting time of cement pastes significantly dropped from 65 to 15 min when the particle sizes decreased from 2723 nm to 322 nm. Nanoparticles provide large surface areas and nucleation sites and thereby a higher hydration rate, so they reduced the setting time. Based on the resulting spectroscopy, the specimens did not exhibit clinically noticeable discoloration. Resistance to discoloration may be due to the resistance of zirconium oxide to decomposition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) examinations of the immersed SBF samples showed apatite formation that was a reason for its suitable bioactivity. The results of cell culture revealed that NFC is nontoxic. This study showed that NFC was more beneficial than MTA in dental restorations. 1. Introduction Calcium silicate-based cement named MTA was first devel- oped as a root-end filling material, because of its clinical characteristics like bioactivity, biocompatibility, low solubil- ity, adaptation to tooth structures, dimensional stability, and sealing ability [1–3]. MTA mainly consisted of dicalcium sil- icate, tricalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate, and a small amount of bismuth oxide that has been added for radiopa- city purposes. The limitations, such as poor handling qual- ity, low strength, long setting time, discoloration, and considerable expense, make its use a restoration material complicated [4, 5]. Dental cements are chemically bonded materials that are bonded through chemical reactions without the use of a high- temperature process [6]. One of the most widely used cements is MTA. MTA is a hydrophilic cement powder that produces harden compounds when in contact with water. The process is named hardening or setting. A cement dental filler material should ideally have a relatively short setting time to avoid being washed away by saliva and reduce the possibility of the unset material irritating oral tissues. MTA has been shown to have a long setting time that confers many difficulties in handling during dental treatment pro- cesses [7]. The setting time for MTA in normal conditions is more than 2.5 to 3 hours [8], and in some treatments, more than one attempt is required to place a final restoration in a tooth. Researchers have made efforts to decrease the cement setting time using some additives and new formula- tions. For instance, several groups have made changes in the formulations of both the solid and liquid phases of MTA cement by adding calcium chloride, potassium chloride, or calcium formate to accelerate the setting time [9, 10]. Using these solutions as the hydration accelerant may enhance the biocompatibility but not compromise MTA’s antibacterial and mechanical properties. The aesthetic appearance of dental treatment is an essen- tial issue for clinicians and patients, especially in the frontal part of the mouth. Hence, the color stability of endodontic materials is considered a critical factor for clinical success Hindawi BioMed Research International Volume 2021, Article ID 7343147, 12 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/7343147