Study of physical properties of the endodontic experimental cement

• Grant number: 05/02533-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2005
• End date: September 30, 2007
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: João Carlos Silos Moraes
• Grantee: João Carlos Silos Moraes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Ilha Solteira. Ilha Solteira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mineral trioxide aggregate was described for the first time in dental literature by Lee et al. in 1993. Since that time, it has been widely investigated and the results confirm that it has excellent physical, chemical and biologic properties. Recently, a new cement was launched commercially labelled as MTA-Angelus (Angelus Soluções Odontológicas, Londrina, Brazil). One of the difficulties reported by clinicians when using MTA is its poor handling characteristic and lengthy setting time. An experimental endodontic cement, labelled of Fast Endodontic Cement, has been developed by us. This cement is a composition of Portland cement, barium suphate, and a gel composed of water and an emulsifier with the function of improving the handling properties. In this project we intend to study the effect of the water-to-powder ratios and granularity of the raw material in the setting time, hardness and thermal expansion of our cement. Measurements of setting time will be performed in accordance with the standards of the American National Standard and American Dental Association (ANSI/ADA specification number 57). The thermal expansion will be studied by strain gage technique, using a half-Wheatstone bridge circuit, and the microhardness will be determined through Vickers tests. (AU)