SEALING ABILITY OF A MINERAL TRIOXIDE AGGREGATE FOR REPAIR OF LATERALROOT PERFORATIONS

Amalgam, IRM, and a mineral trioxide aggregate were tested for repair of experimentally created root perforations. Fifty sound, extracted ma ndibular and maxillary molars were used in this study. A perforation w as created on the mesial root surface at about a 45-degree angle to th e long axis of each tooth. The tooth was then placed into a saline-soa ked ''Oasis'' to simulate a clinical condition. After placing the repa ir materials into the perforations, the teeth were kept for 4 wk in th e Oasis model. The perforation sites were then stained with methylene blue for 48 h, sectioned, and examined under a dissecting microscope. The results showed that the mineral trioxide aggregate had significant ly less leakage than IRM or amalgam (p < 0.05). The mineral trioxide a ggregate also showed the least overfilling tendency while IRM showed t he least underfilling tendency