CLINICAL APPLICATION OF MTA(MINERAL TRIOXIDE AGGREGATE) FOR APEXIFICATION

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Journal of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 2001;28(4):700-708.
Published online November 30, 2001.

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF MTA(MINERAL TRIOXIDE AGGREGATE) FOR APEXIFICATION

Abstract

Traumatic injuries in young patients can result in the interruption of the development of the incompletely formed roots. In teeth with incomplete root-end formation and necrotic pulps, the root canals must be completely debrided. Because of a lack of an apical stop and the presence of thin and fragile walls in these teeth, it is imperative to perform apexification to obtain an adequate apical seal. Calcium hydroxide has become the material of choice for apexification. Despite its popularity for the apexification procedure, calcium hydroxide therapy has some inherent disadvantages that include variablility of treatment time, unpredictability of apical closure, difficulty in patient follow-up, and delayed treatment. An alternative treatment to long-term apexification procedure is the use of an artificial apical barrier that allows immediate obturation of the canal. MTA(Mineral Trioxide Aggregate) is a powder consisting of fine hydrophilic particles of tricalcium silicate, tricalcium aluminate, tricalcium oxide and silicate oxide. MTA has a pH of 12.5 after setting, similar to calcium hydroxide. This may impart some antimicrobial properties. MTA has low solubility and a radiopacity slightly eater than that of dentin. Also, MTA leaked significantly less than other materials and induced hard-tissue formation more than other materials.

Key Words: Apexification, MTA(Mineral Trioxide Aggregate), Antimicrobial properties, Solubility, Radiopacity, Hard-tissue formation