Comparison of sealing ability of MTA and retroplast as root end filling materials evaluated under a stereomicroscope using rhodamine B dye: An In vitro study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the sealing ability of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) and Retroplast as root end filling materials using the Rhodamine B dye penetration method in vitro. METHODOLOGY: Forty freshly extracted human single-rooted teeth were randomly divided into two groups of 20 teeth each, and standard root-end cavities were prepared in all teeth. The cavities were filled with MTA and Retroplast in groups 1 and 2, respectively. The specimens were then stored in 1% Rhodamine B dye for a week, following which the dye penetration with all samples was analysed under a stereomicroscope and scored according to Tronstad's criteria. The observations were compared with Chi square test at a 0.220 level of significance. RESULTS: 5% of the samples in both the groups showed no significant leakage. The leakage was deeper with the Retroplast group than with the MTA group; however, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Both MTA and Retroplast are similar in their sealing potential as root-end cavity fillings with Retroplast reporting slightly deeper microleakage than MTA within the limits of the present study.