Comparative evaluation of the effect of chitosan and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on the pushout bond strength of mineral trioxide aggregate: An in vitro comparative study

ABSTRACT Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the effect of chitosan and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on pushout bond strength of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Methods: A total of 54 single-rooted premolars were allocated into three groups (n = 18): Group A (Control) – MTA, Group B – MTA reinforced with TiO2 nanoparticles, and Group C – MTA reinforced with chitosan nanoparticles. Horizontal sectioning of each tooth sample was conducted using a diamond disc, resulting in uniform 4 mm thick sections from the middle third of the root. Subsequently, the canal lumen was prepared using #5 GG drill, and the root segments were securely affixed onto an acrylic disc. The tooth specimens then underwent a sequential immersion protocol of 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, followed by 3% NaOCl and finally rinsed with distilled water and dried. The MTA cement, as per allocated group, was compacted into the canal, and to quantify the efficacy of the nanoparticle inclusion, the pushout bond strength of each sample was meticulously assessed using a universal testing machine. The data were analyzed statistically by analysis of variance and post hoc comparison by Tukey’s t-test. Results: Although, there was no statistically significant difference present in the pushout bond strength among the tested groups. However, MTA reinforced with Chitosan nanoparticles exhibited numerically higher values, followed by MTA reinforced with TiO2 nanoparticles, while Group MTA–control group demonstrated the lowest. Conclusion: The incorporation of nanoparticles namely chitosan and TiO2 in MTA may serve as a promising avenue for enhancing the performance of MTA as a root-end repair material.