FAQ

Medcem Pure Portland Cement® is an excellent capping material in primary tooth endodontics (primary tooth amputations) and cariology for permanent teeth (direct and indirect capping).

Medcem MTA® is adequate for all MTA indications (perforation coverage, apexifications, surgical endodontics). In addition, as MTA of the second generation, it is the only MTA that can be used in traumatology for front teeth.

Medcem Pure Portland Cement® has the best bio inductive and mechanical characteristics, being pure Portland cement.  Medcem MTA® is very well visible under X-ray due to its colour stable X-ray contrast additive, and can be differentiated from the dentine. This X-ray contrast media also does not modify the characteristics of the bio inductive basic material.

One capsule contains approx. 0.35g of Medcem Pure Portland Cement®/Medcem MTA®. This is sufficient  for 2 to 3 applications.

Medcem Pure Portland Cement® does not contain any additional colouring X-ray opaque ingredients. Thus, it is adequate for colour sensitive areas (front teeth). Its X-ray opacity is slightly higher than that of the dentine. Conformity to an ISO standard for X-ray visibility is not provided.

Medcem MTA® is X-ray opaque and sufficiently visible under X-ray according to ISO 9917-1. The contrast is more than 4mm aluminium equivalent.

The mixing process is the same for both products. The powder (0.35g) and sterile water (ideally, 0.12ml) is prepared on a glass plate or a preparation block. Then, both media are mixed in small portions. If the consistency of the material is too thick, add water. If it is too thin, add powder. As a plug, the consistency should be thicker, as capping material the consistency should be more like a liquid liner. The mixing processes should be completed after approx. 3 minutes (ideally, mix while using a stopwatch).

The thickening times of both materials are determined by the basic material Portland cement. Dentists are not commonly used to a material needing so much time to thicken. Sometimes users mistakenly assume that the material does not thicken. After 3 to 4 minutes, Medcem Pure Portland Cement® and Medcem MTA® start to form a first cement gel. By that time, the material should have been applied to the tooth structure to be treated. According to ISO 9917-1, this first gel thickening phase is finished after approx. 195 minutes. 95% of the final hardness is achieved after 25 days.

The final hardness of both materials is 22 Mpa after approx. 28 days. The hardness of the Medcem Pure Portland Cement® is slightly higher.