Portland cement enriched with hydroxyapatite for endodontic applications

Endodontic cement based on calcium silicate has been the focus of many studies. However, the quality of resulted endodontic cement needs improvement. This paper focuses on endodontic cement obtained from Portland cement enriched with two types of hydroxyapatite, simple and doped with 5% Zn. Hydroxyapatites were synthesized using a wet precipitation method and investigated by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, TEM and AFM. From a structural point of view, both hydroxyapatites were obtained in a single crystalline phase, containing particles in the nanometric range, as judged by XRD, TEM and AFM. FTIR analysis presents O-H and P-O bands specific to those in pure hydroxyapatite, confirming a hydroxyapatite lattice in both materials. Several experimental compositions of commercial Portland cement mixed with hydroxyapatite were prepared. The influence of stoichiometric and Zn doped hydroxyapatite on the resulted endodontic cement was observed in the setting time. The setting time for both cements decreased exponentially at both temperatures (22[degrees]C and 37[degrees]C). The normal consistency water remains constant for all experimented slurries. Keywords: Endodontic cement, hydroxyapatite, Zn doped hydroxyapatite, Portland cement