The effect of using propylene glycol as a vehicle on the microhardness of mineral trioxide aggregate

Abstract

While it has been proven that the handling properties of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) are improved upon mixing it with propylene glycol (PG), this study sought to evaluate how PG affects the microhardness of MTA in terms of setting quality. MTA was mixed with different proportions of distilled water (DW) and PG to prepare 5 groups (n = 30). The DW/PG percent proportions used in Groups 1-5 were 100/0, 80/20, 50/50, 20/80, and 0/100, respectively. The mixed MTA was condensed into acrylic molds. Half of the samples of each group were evaluated on Day 4, the other half on Day 28. The results indicated that PG reduces the microhardness of MTA, thus adversely affecting its setting process. Group 2 (80% DW/20% PG) best improved the handling of MTA without a significant reduction in setting quality.