Physical, Chemical, Mechanical, and Biological Properties of Four Different Commercial Root-End Filling Materials: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Commercial mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) materials such as Endocem MTA (EC), Dia-Root Bio MTA (DR), RetroMTA (RM), and ProRoot MTA (PR) are increasingly used as root-end filling materials. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the physicochemical and mechanical properties and cytotoxicity of these MTAs. The film thicknesses of EC and DR were considerably less than that of PR; however, RM’s film thickness was greater than that of PR. In addition, the setting times of EC, DR, and RM were shorter than that of PR (p < 0.05). The solubility was not significantly different among all groups. The three relatively new MTA groups (EC, DR, and RM) exhibited a significant difference in pH variation and calcium ion release relative to the PR group (p < 0.05). The radiopacity of the three new MTAs was considerably less than that of PR. The mechanical strength of RM was not significantly different from that of PR (p > 0.05); however, the EC and DR groups were not as strong as PR (p < 0.05). All MTA groups revealed cytocompatibility. In conclusion, the results of this study confirmed that EC, RM, DR, and PR exhibit clinically acceptable physicochemical and mechanical properties and cell cytotoxicity.