Tridimensional quantitative porosity characterization of three set calcium silicate‐based repair cements for endodontic use

Abstract

The aim of the this study was to quantitatively evaluate in three-dimensional (3D), the porosity degree of three improved silicate-based endodontic repair cements (iRoot BP Plus®, Biodentine®, and Ceramicrete) compared to a gold-standard calcium silicate bioactive cement (Pro Root® MTA). From each tested cement, four samples were prepared by a single operator following the manufacturer's instructions in terms of proportion, time, and mixing method, using cylindrical plastic split-ring moulds. The moulds were lubricated and the mixed cements were inserted with the aid of a cement spatula. The samples were scanned using a compact micro-CT device (Skyscan 1174, Bruker micro-CT, Kontich, Belgium) and the projection images were reconstructed into cross-sectional slices (NRecon v.1.6.9, Bruker micro-CT). From the stack of images, 3D models were rendered and the porosity parameters of each tested material were obtained after threshold definition by comparison with standard porosity values of Biodentine®. No statistically significant differences in the porosity parameters among the different materials were seen. Regarding total porosity, iRoot BP Plus® showed a higher percentage of total porosity (9.58%), followed by Biodentine® (7.09%), Pro Root® MTA (6.63%), and Ceramicrete (5.91%). Regarding closed porosity, Biodentine® presented a slight increase in these numbers compared to the other sealers. No significant difference in porosity between iRoot BP Plus®, Biodentine®, and Ceramicrete were seen. In addition, no significant difference in porosity between the new calcium silicate-containing repair cements and the gold-standard MTA were found.

A Review on Biodentine, a Contemporary Dentine Replacement and Repair Material

“…Another study on porosity was one by De Souza et al [21] where Biodentine was compared to other silicate based cements, IRoot BP Plus, Ceramicrete, and ProRoot MTA using micro—CT characterization. The authors indicated that no significant difference in porosity between IRoot BP PlusVR, BiodentineVR, and Ceramicrete were observed.…”

Micro-CT analysis of filling ability and porosity of root-end filling materials

“…In order to minimize these errors, all reconstructions were performed using the artifact reduction tools. De Souza et al 10 proposed a standard to obtain the threshold, using known values for the porosity of each material. Therefore, the use of microcomputed tomography for porosity analysis also presents variations that must suggest patterns based on the experiment performed and type of sample.…”

“…2017 Nov-Dec; 46(6): 362-367 366 evaluation of these faults 10 . Microtomography has been used to evaluate the porosity of different materials 8,9 .…”

“…Porosity may be analyzed by means of microscopy, using porosimetry by mercury intrusion 7 , or by using microcomputed tomography 8,9 . De Souza et al 10 , using a 3D model, quantitatively evaluated the degree of porosity of calcium-silicate based materials analyzing the images obtained by microcomputed tomography. 3D models were evaluated and the porosity parameters of each material were obtained by comparison with standard porosity values of Biodentine®.…”

Products and Distinctions

“…However, this distinction is not always clear in the literature. Calcium silicate was used in another experimental magnesium phosphate dental product [32,79,93]. The calcium silicate was not a hydraulic phase but a phase that reacted in situ contributing to bioactivity.…”