Bacterial entombment by intratubular mineralization following orthograde mineral trioxide aggregate obturation: a scanning electron microscopy study

Abstract

Root canal surgeries performed with a new kind of material could successfully entrap problematic bacteria and prevent tooth abscesses. A team led by Kee-Yeon Kum from the Seoul National University School of Dentistry, South Korea, prepared roots from 60 extracted human premolar teeth. They exposed half of the teeth to Enterococcus faecalis, a bacterium commonly found in infections in root-canal treated teeth, the remaining teeth acting as controls. The roots were then filled with either a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution or OrthoMTA, a newly developed type of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) cement composed mainly of tricalcium silicate. After incubation periods ranging from one to 16 weeks, the researchers examined the teeth using scanning electron microscopy. They found that OrthoMTA-filled roots had higher rates of mineralization and could seal or ‘entomb’ the bacteria dentinal tubules.

Keywords

bacterial entombment / intratubular mineralization / orthograde canal obturation / scanning electron microscopy / tag-like structure

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