Comparative Evaluation of the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate vs. Bacterial Cellulose Nanocrystal-Reinforced Mineral Trioxide Aggregate: An In Vitro Study

Aim: This study aims to compare and assess the compression strength, microhardness, and surface texture of two sets of materials: mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Plus (TM) and bacterial cellulose nanocrystal (BCNC)-reinforced MTA Plus (TM). Materials and methods: According to the ASTM E384 standard, the cylindrical molds made of plexiglass with an internal diameter of 6 mm and a height of 4 mm were fabricated using computer numerical control laser cutting. A total of 20 samples (n=10) in each group were considered in this experimental study: Group I (control group) MTA Plus (TM) (Prevest DenPro Limited, India) and Group II (experimental group) BCNC (Vedayukt India Private Limited, India)-reinforced MTA Plus (TM). After preparation, the molds were incubated at 37 degrees C in a fully saturated condition for about 24 hours, and then the compression strength, microhardness, and scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed at different magnifications. The obtained data were then statistically analyzed. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed that there is a statistically significant difference between MTA Plus (TM) and BCNC-reinforced MTA Plus (TM) (p<0.002). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U-test revealed that BCNC-reinforced MTA Plus (TM) showed significantly higher compression strength (33.80 +/- 3.83 MPa, p=0.00) and surface microhardness (642.85 +/- 24.00 mu m, p=0.00) than the control group. Conclusion: Based on our findings, it was concluded that there is a statistically significant difference between both study groups. Thus, incorporating BCNC into the MTA Plus (TM) significantly increased the compression strength and surface microhardness of the MTA Plus (TM) cement. Clinical significance: Numerous dental applications have been investigated for bacterial cellulose. Many benefits of bacterial cellulose are available, which include its effects on moldability, low cost, high water retention capacity, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Furthermore, the addition of BCNC to MTA Plus (TM) accelerates the material's hardening process and decreases its setting time, which in turn shortens clinical chairside procedural timing and thereby improves patient satisfaction.