Abstract:

Aims: Radiopacity is a crucial property for a liner or base material, and these materials should provide an optimal contrast for detecting secondary caries in radiographic examinations. The purpose of this study was to assess the radiopacity characteristics of four calcium-silicate-based and two glass-ionomer-based materials used as a liner or base in direct or indirect vital pulp therapy. Methods: A total of 60 cylindrical-shaped and 1 mm thick specimens were prepared from a calcium-silicate (Biodentine, Septodont), a calcium-silicate (MTA, Angelus), a light-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal LC, Bisco), a dual-cured resin-modified calcium silicate (TheraCal PT, Bisco), a glass hybrid glass-ionomer (Equia Forte HT, GC), and a resin-modified glass ionomer (Glass Liner, Wp Dental) material (n=10). Digital radiographic images of the specimens, a molar tooth section with 1 mm thickness, and an aluminum step wedge were obtained by a digital radiography system (Heliodent Plus, Dentsply Sirona) with 60 kV voltage, 7 mA current, and 0.25 seconds exposure time. The mean gray values (MGV) of digital images were determined using the ImageJ software program (National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (p<0.05) were used to analyze the data. Results: Among the tested materials, the highest radiopacity value was found in MTA, and the lowest radiopacity value was obtained in Glass Liner. The radiopacity levels of the materials studied were MTA>Biodentine>Equia Forte HT>Theracal PT>Theracal LC>Glass Liner, respectively. All the tested liner or base materials exhibited significantly greater radiopacity values when compared to those of dentin (p<0.05). MTA has statistically significantly higher, Biodentine, Theracal PT, Theracal LC, and Glass Liner have statistically significantly lower radiopacity values than enamel (p<0.05). Conclusion: All the restorative materials tested exhibited higher radiopacity than dentin, with ThereCal LC and Glass Liner displaying lower radiopacity than enamel, ThereCal PT, Biodentine, and Equia showing equivalent radiopacity to enamel, and MTA demonstrating higher radiopacity than enamel.

Keywords: