Comparative evaluation of the effect of carbonic acid as a solvent on the microhardness of mineral trioxide aggregate, Biodentine, and root dentin: An in vitro study

Purpose: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) has been shown a potential endodontic material in several clinical applications. Certain inherent disadvantages of MTA led to the introduction of Biodentine (BD). The retrieval of MTA and BD has been challenging for most clinicians. This study aimed to compare and evaluate the effect of carbonic acid (CA) on the microhardness of MTA, BD, and root dentin (RD).
Methods: Uniform MTA, BD, and RD discs were prepared under standardized conditions following the manufacturer’s instructions. The preliminary microhardness of all the samples was tested after 24 h. All samples were soaked in CA for 5 min, and the microhardness was tested. The results were statistically analyzed using paired sample t-test.
Results: BD showed no statistically significant difference, whereas MTA and RD showed statistically significant differences in microhardness before and after exposure to CA.
Conclusion: CA can dissolve set MTA, but cannot dissolve BD. Nevertheless, CA, when used to remove set MTA, shows a detrimental effect on RD within 5 min of its exposure. Therefore, it is not clinically recommended to use CA for the retrieval of set MTA.