Sealing ability of MTA and radiopaque Portland cement with or without calcium chloride for root-end filling.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of calcium chloride (CaCl(2)) on the sealing ability of three Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) cements, ProRoot MTA, MTA-Angelus, and radiopaque White Portland cement (WPC), for retrograde root filling. Seventy roots of extracted single-rooted teeth were instrumented and obturated. After sectioning the samples at 2 mm from the apex, they received one layer of Araldite and two coats of nail enamel, except for the apical dentinal surface submitted to apicectomy. Standardized retrograde cavities were prepared, filled with one of the materials, and immersed in 0.2% Rhodamine B solution for 72 hours. Dye leakage was analyzed on a light microscope with ocular micrometer. Kruskal-Wallis and Miller tests were used to compare groups arranged in increasing order of leakage, according to mean rank of scores: WPC+CaCl(2), MTA-Angelus+CaCl(2), ProRoot MTA+CaCl(2), MTA-Angelus, ProRoot MTA, and WPC. CaCl(2) improved the sealing ability of all three MTA cements.