The Effect of Two Different MTA (Mineral Trioxide Aggregate) On Thermal Insulation

The heat generated due to polymerization in deep cavities can lead to irreversible damage to the pulp. The aim is to evaluate the effect of two different Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) on the insulation of heat transmitted to the pulp in-vitro.

This study utilized an apparatus consisting of Teflon molds connected to a digital thermometer with a thermal probe (ENDA-ET4420^®-PID-SISEL-TURKEY-ISTANBUL). The temperature difference during the polymerization process (20 and 40 seconds) with light-cured glass ionomer (Fusion-i-Seal^®-Prevest-DenPro) was recorded using light-curing devices Elipar (Elipar-S10/3M-ESPE, St.Paul, MN, USA), WoodPecker-LEDB, and WoodPecker-LEDB/Discrete (KejuMed.Prod., Foshan, China) as the control group (non-MTA group). The same procedure was also conducted for MTA Group1 (MTA-FORTE, PyraxPolymers, India) and MTA Group2 (Biofactor MTA, Imicryl, Turkey) by placing them underneath light-cured glass ionomer. The data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS-Statistics-22 software.

There was no significant temperature difference between MTA1-MTA2 groups in the Elipar used groups, and the temperature differences in all groups were above 5.5°C. In MTA1, the temperature difference at 20,40 seconds, and in MTA2, the temperature difference at 20 seconds with the Woodpecker/Discrete light-curing device was significantly higher. In MTA2, the temperature difference at 40 seconds with the Woodpecker light-curing device was significantly higher.

MTA, regardless of the type and usage of the light device used during polymerization in deep cavities, serves as an important insulator to protect the pulp from heat.