The current opinions and use of MTA for apical barrier formation of non-vital immature permanent incisors by consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK.

The purpose of the study was to assess the current opinions and usage of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) for apical barrier formation of non-vital immature permanent teeth by consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK. A semi-structured postal questionnaire was sent to all known consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK. The response rate was 78.6% (44 of 56). Thity-eight consultants (86.3%) agreed that the use of this material was a good idea with 68.2% having used or arranged for its use in apical barrier formation. Forty-two consultants (95.5%) agreed that reduced number of visits was an advantage to the technique, with only 34.1% agreeing that this procedure was less likely to weaken the tooth and 63.6% agreed that material and equipment costs were a drawback and 50% agreed that lack of available evidence was a disadvantage to its use. The results from this study give an indication of the extent of MTA use by consultant-led services in paediatric dentistry in the UK and highlights the need for a multi-centre randomised controlled clinical trial.

Comparative chemical study of MTA and Portland cements.

Portland cement has been analyzed and compared to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) because of their chemical similarity. The possibility of using this material as a less expensive alternative to MTA in dental practice should be considered. In view of this, the present study compared the components of a Portland cement (Votoran) to two commercial brands of MTA (Pro-Root and MTA-Angelus). Twelve specimens of each material were fabricated and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to obtain their percentage of chemical elements. The means of the chemical elements found in each material was compared by descriptive statistics. Bismuth was present only in MTA cements to provide radiopacity. In conclusion, the tested cements have similar components, which supports, as far as composition is concerned, the possible clinical use of Portland as an option to MTA.

Comparative chemical study of MTA and portland cements

Portland cement has been analyzed and compared to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) because of their chemical similarity. The possibility of using this material as a less expensive alternative to MTA in dental practice should be considered. In view of this, the present study compared the components of a Portland cement (Votoran®) to two commercial brands of MTA (Pro-Root™ and MTA-Angelus®). Twelve specimens of each material were fabricated and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to obtain their percentage of chemical elements. The means of the chemical elements found in each material was compared by descriptive statistics. Bismuth was present only in MTA cements to provide radiopacity. In conclusion, the tested cements have similar components, which supports, as far as composition is concerned, the possible clinical use of Portland as an option to MTA.

O cimento Portland tem sido analisado e comparado com o agregado trióxido mineral (MTA) devido a sua similaridade química. Dada à possibilidade de uso na Odontologia como uma alternativa menos onerosa ao MTA, realizou-se uma análise comparativa dos componentes do cimento Portland (Votoran®) com os constituintes de dois cimentos MTA (Pro-Root™-MTA e Angelus®-MTA). Para tanto, foram confeccionados 12 corpos-de-prova de cada um dos materiais (n=36), e estes foram analisados em microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) pela técnica de espectroscopia por dispersão de energia (EDS), que fornece o percentual dos componentes químicos encontrados nos corpos-de-prova. As médias dos elementos químicos encontrados nos três cimentos foram comparadas por meio de análise estatística descritiva. O bismuto estava presente somente nos cimentos MTA. Concluiu-se que os cimentos testados apresentaram similaridade em seus constituintes, o que indica, considerando-se a composição, a possibilidade de futura utilização clínica do cimento Portland como alternativa ao MTA.