Investigation of mutagenicity of mineral trioxide aggregate and other commonly used root-end filling materials.

Little information is available regarding the mutagenicity of root-end filling materials. To study mutagenicity of Intermediate Restorative Material (IRM), Super-EBA, and a potential root-end filling material, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), strains of Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 (TA 98, R-factor strain and TA 1535, non-R-factor strains) were used in a standard Ames mutagenicity assay. Positive controls (S9 protein and benzo-(a)-pyrene and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine) operated properly. No increase in revertant bacteria colony counts occurred with any of the test materials. Based on these results, it seems that IRM, Super-EBA, and MTA are not mutagenic as measured by the Ames Test.