Intracanal mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) may provide an alternative to calcium
hydroxide in the treatment of external inflammatory root resorption. This in vitro
study using human matched pairs of teeth compared white ProRoot MTA (WMTA; (Dentsply
Tulsa Dental Specialties, Tulsa, OK) and an alternative material with purportedly
improved handling properties, EndoSequence Root Repair Material (ES; Brasseler USA,
Savannah, GA), by measuring pH in simulated root surface resorptive defects after
intracanal placement. The null hypothesis tested was that there is no difference between
WMTA and ES.
Bilaterally matched pairs (n = 24) of extracted, human, single-rooted teeth were instrumented
to apical size 50/.06, and root surface cavities were prepared at 5 mm and 2 mm from
the apex. Root canals of experimental matched pairs (n = 20) were filled with WMTA
or ES; control pairs (n = 4) were filled with calcium hydroxide (positive control
[POS]) or saline (negative control [NEG]). Teeth were sealed coronally and apically
and immersed in saline. The pH in root surface cavities was measured at 20 minutes,
3 hours, 24 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 4 weeks.
The pH at 5 mm when compared with the 2-mm level was significantly higher for the
WMTA, ES, and POS groups (P < .05, paired t tests); therefore, each level was analyzed
separately. At both the 2-mm and 5-mm levels, significant pH changes occurred over
time in the WMTA, ES (both P < .0001, repeated-measures analysis of variance), and
POS (P < .0001, Friedman test) groups and not in the NEG group (mean pH = 7.32 ± 0.04,
P > .05). There were no differences between WMTA and ES at 20 minutes and 3 hours
at both levels or at 24 hours at 5mm. The pH of WMTA was higher than ES by 24 hours
at the 2-mm level (8.79 vs 8.56, P < .05, paired t test) and after 1 week at the 5-mm
level (8.91 vs 8.05, P < .0001) and was thereafter always significantly higher in
WMTA compared with ES (P < .0001). The null hypothesis was rejected.
In matched pairs of teeth, intracanal placement of WMTA compared with ES resulted
in a higher pH in simulated root resorption defects that was time and root level dependent.
Copyright © 2011 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc.
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