Flow, Film thickness and Setting Time Properties of Three Mineral Trioxide Aggregate Based Bio-ceramic Sealers: An in Vitro Study

Abstract

Background: The mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) based bio-ceramic (MTA-BCS) has become quite well known for its top-notch amenities. The quality of the obturation procedure is influenced by the composition and handling characteristics of the root canal sealers. Flow, film thickness and setting time are the most important handling properties as they affected the ability of the sealers to enter narrow and irregular spaces. Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate 3 commercially available MTA-BCS sealers regarding flow, film thickness and setting time. Materials and methods: Three commercially available MTA based sealers were used in this study. Samples were divided into three groups; Group I (MTA fillapex), Group II (Ceramoseal HBC) and Group III (Endoseal MTA). Flow, film thickness, initial and final setting time were tested according to ISO 6876 standards. Results: For the flow, test Group I showed the highest mean value (26.50±0.50 mm) and the lowest statistically significant mean value was Group II (22.59±1.94 mm). For the film thickness, the highest statistically significant mean value was recorded in Group II (29.4±4.72 μm) while the lowest mean value was recorded in Group III (15±3.53μm). For initial setting time, the highest statistically significant mean value was recorded in Group I (858.51±11.82 min). The lowest statistically significant mean value was recorded in Group III (35.2±2.86 min). For final setting time, group I was unable to set up to one month. Group III was the shortest statistically significant mean value (150.4±3.44 min) compared to Group II (832±6.78 min). Conclusion:Within the limitation of this study, it can be concluded that all the tested sealers fulfilled the requirements of ISO specifications no 6876 for flow and film thickness. Regarding setting time, only Group II fulfilled their manufacturer declaration for initial setting as stated by ISO.