Histologic evaluation of the effect of mineral trioxide aggregate-Fillapex as a root canal sealer in rat teeth submitted to late replantation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to analyze the effect of new root canal based silicate cement, in rat teeth after late replantation, comparing with calcium hydroxide (CH) in preventing tooth root resorption.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group included 16 Wistar rats in which the upper right central incisors were extracted and were left on a worktable for 60 min, simulating a case of tooth avulsion, after had been anesthetized. One group, (Group I), the canals were filled with CH past, before replantation. The second groups of teeth, (Group II), the canals were filled with mineral trioxide aggregate-Fillapex (MTAF). After removal, the blood clot of the socket, with saline solution irrigation, the teeth were replanted into their original socket, and splinted with silk 3/0. The rats were sacrificed 8 weeks after replantation and the specimens were prepared for histologic and histomorphometric analyses. The areas of inflammatory and replacement resorptions were selected and quantified. These data for each group of teeth were evaluated and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test (P = 0.05).

RESULT AND CONCLUSION: All the replanted teeth in both groups survived. Although root canal filled with MTAF provide better results than with CH past concerning inflammatory and replacement resorption, there was no statistical difference (P = 0.527).