Assessing the radiopacity of new root end filling materials using digital radiography technique

Abstract

Background: Radiographic discrimination of root end filling materials from
surrounding tooth structure is clinically relevant for assessing the quality of
retrograde treatment. The present study aimed at evaluating the radiopacity of
Biodentine™ and Pro Root MTA as root end filling materials using a digital
radiography technique.
Materials and Methods: Specimens of BiodentineTM and Pro Root MTA test
materials with 1mm thick and 10 mm internal diameter were prepared for digital
radiographic analysis using an aluminum washer. The radiopacity of the
Biodentine™ and Pro Root MTA was assessed using dental radiography
equipment in combination with a phosphor plate digital system and a grey scale
value aluminum step wedge with thicknesses varying from 1 mm to 10 mm in
steps of 1 mm each. The degree of radiopacity of the test materials were
radiographed and compared together with the aluminum step wedge on a
computer screen using image J software. Radiopacity was expressed in mm of
equivalent aluminum step wedge. The radiopacity values of Biodentine™ and Pro
Root MTA were statistically analyzed using the one way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and post-hoc test (Bonferroni test), the level of significance was set at
0.05 (P<0.05). Results: The radiographic data showed that the degree of
radiopacity of Pro root MTA is significantly higher than that of Biodentine™
(P<0.001). The current study reported that the ProRoot MTA showed requisite
radiopacity around 5.86 mm when compared with aluminum step wedge steps,
whereas the radiopacity of Biodentine™ determined around 2.46 mm of
equivalent aluminum.
Conclusion: The radiopacity of Pro Root MTA is clinically relevant that allows for
clear distinction between the material and the surrounding tooth structure enabling
it to be used as root end filling material. However, Biodentine showed reduced
radiopacity that needs further improvement.