Comparative evaluation of effect of three different mineral trioxide aggregate solvents on calcium content of root dentin: An in vitro study

Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the calcium content of solutions of three different mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) solvents after immersion of root dentin at different time interval. Materials and Methods: A total of 36 extracted premolars were used in the study. Teeth were sectioned 2 mm using hard tissue microtome. One section was selected from each tooth. 12 sections were then immersed in the freshly prepared 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 17% carbonic acid, and 10% citric acid. Calcium dissolution was checked at different time interval of 10 and 15 min and 32 h with atomic absorption spectroscopy. Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA test and multiple comparisons were carried out by Tukey's test. Results: About 17% carbonic acid showed maximum calcium dissolution followed by 17% EDTA and 10% citric acid. There was significantly difference in result. Conclusion: About 17% carbonic acid used for MTA retrieval can cause calcium dissolution of dentin and lessen the strength. Clinical Significance Mineral trioxide aggregate is bioactive material used widely for different clinical use, it has major disadvantage of retrieval. There are different solvents used for the same. Those may affect the organic content of dentin.