Improving mechanical, biological, and adhesive properties of synthesized mineral trioxide aggregate by adding chitosan

In this study, chitosan (with various concentrations) was added to modify the synthesized white mineral trioxide aggregate (WMTA). WMTA was prepared through the sol–gel method at a low-temperature heating (1000 °C). The component of WMTA was 60 % CaO, 20 % SiO2, 2 % Al2O3, and 18 % Bi2O3, and the product was characterized using TG/DTA, FTIR, XRD, and SEM instrumentations. The characterization results showed similar characteristics of the synthesized WMTA compared to the commercial one (Pro Root). In further work, we studied the effect of chitosan addition on the characteristics of hydrated WMTA. The results showed that modification with chitosan led to enhancing the antibacterial, mechanical, and adhesive properties of WMTA. WMTA modified with 4 wt% of chitosan resulted in the highest diametral tensile and compressive strength on day 7 and exhibited the most intimate adhesive interface with dentin. The loss mass percentage of all groups (less than 3 %) and radiopaque values exceeding 3 mm Al met the requirement as a dental material, except for WMTA with 6 wt% chitosan. All WMTAs generated alkaline conditions by releasing Ca2+ ions in an artificial saliva solution, which was beneficial for antibacterial and biocompatibility. WMTA modified with 4 wt% chitosan provided the best mechanical, biological, and adhesive properties, so further investigation is necessary for an in-vivo study