Tag: blood contamination

  • An Evaluation of the Effect of Blood and Human Serum on the Surface Microhardness and Surface Microstructure of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate

    Aim: Short-term and long-term evaluation of the effect of whole human blood or serum contamination on the surface microhardness value and microstructure of white and grey mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Methodology Three groups of 10 samples for each type of MTA were prepared. The first group was mixed with and exposed to fresh whole human blood. The second and third groups were mixed with distilled water and exposed to fresh whole human blood or human serum, respectively. The control group samples were mixed with and exposed to distilled water. During preparation, 1 g of MTA was triturated with 0.33 g of the selected liquid using an amalgamator and placed inside borosilicate cylindrical moulds. The samples were treated with ultrasonic energy. Vickers surface microhardness values were compared after 4 and 180 days. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed after 4 days.
    Results: White MTA had a greater microhardness value than grey MTA in all groups. There was a significant difference between the control and the experimental groups (P < 0.00001). There was no significant difference between the microhardness values obtained after 4 and 180 days, apart from grey MTA mixed with blood or exposed to serum (P < 0.00001). SEM analysis showed the contaminated samples were devoid of acicular crystals that were prominent in the control groups.
    Conclusion: Blood contamination had a detrimental effect on the surface microhardness of MTA in the short and long term. If blood or serum contamination is unavoidable under clinical conditions, it might be preferable to use white MTA.

  • The Effect of Blood Contamination on the Compressive Strength and Surface Microstructure of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate

    Aim: To investigate the effects of whole, fresh human blood contamination on compressive strength and surface microstructure of grey and tooth-coloured mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Methodology The materials investigated were grey ProRoot MTA Original (Dentsply Tulsa Dental, Johnson City, TN, USA) and tooth-coloured ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Tulsa Dental). Three groups of 10 custommade cylindrical moulds (internal dimensions 6 ± 0.1 mm length and 4 ± 0.1 mm diameter) were filled with tooth-coloured MTA. In the control group, MTA was mixed with water and exposed to water. In the second group, MTA was mixed with water and exposed to whole, fresh human blood. In the third group, MTA was mixed with and exposed to whole, fresh human blood. These three groups were then duplicated using grey MTA, creating a total of 60 samples. A predetermined amount of MTA and appropriate liquid were
    triturated in a plastic mixing capsule then subjected to ultrasonic energy after placement in the moulds. After 4 days of incubation, specimens were subjected to compressive strength testing. The surface microstructure of one extra specimen in each group was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Data were subjected to a two-way anova.
    Results: Regardless of MTA type, the mean compressive strength values of both experimental groups, which were in contact with blood, were significantly less than that of the control groups (P < 0.0001). In experimental groups in which MTA was mixed with water and exposed to blood, there was a significant difference (P < 0.0001) in compressive strength between tooth-coloured MTA (30.37 ± 10.16 MPa) and grey MTA (13.92 ± 3.80 MPa).
    Conclusion: When blood becomes incorporated into MTA, its compressive strength is reduced. In clinical situations in which blood becomes mixed with MTA, its physical properties are likely to be compromised.