Prevention of Tooth Discoloration Due to Calcium-Silicate Cements: A Review

Introduction: Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and other calcium silicate cement similar to that are widely used in endodontic treatments. One of the widely emphasized disadvantages of these cements are the induction of tooth discoloration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of tooth discoloration caused by MTA and MTA-like cements and debate different methods suggested for preventing it. Methods: An electronic search was performed using databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Scopus by using keywords such as “mineral trioxide aggregate”, “calcium-silicate”, “tooth discoloration”, and “prevention”. Results: Several methods for preventing tooth discoloration caused by MTA and MTA-like cements have been proposed including the application of dentin bonding agents on dentinal walls, use of cements containing radiopacifying agents other than bismuth oxide, and addition of zinc oxide to those cements containing bismuth oxide. Conclusion: Most studies have shown that none of these methods can completely inhibit tooth discoloration but can decrease it to some length.