Abstract

Aim: Among the various materials used as root-end filling materials, Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) is distinguished by its superior biocompatibility and sealing properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between MTA use as a root-end filling material and tooth survival following apical resection.
Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 385 permanent teeth from 272 patients who underwent apical resection between 2020 and 2025, with follow-up periods ranging from 12 to 60 months. The study group consisted of teeth in which MTA was used as the root-end filling material, whereas the control group comprised cases in which no root-end filling material was applied. The primary outcome measure was tooth survival (extraction status) during the follow-up period.
Results: Among the evaluated teeth, MTA was not applied in 361 teeth (93.8%), whereas it was applied in 24 teeth (6.2%). Apical resection was most frequently performed in the maxillary anterior region (n = 228), while the lowest number of surgical procedures was observed in the mandibular posterior region (n = 33). At the end of the follow-up period, the extraction rate was 5.8% in teeth without MTA and 8.3% in teeth treated with MTA. No statistically significant difference was found between the groups in terms of tooth survival (p > 0.05). However, this finding should be interpreted with caution due to the relatively small number of teeth treated with MTA.
Conclusion: The findings of this study do not allow for a definitive conclusion regarding the effect of MTA use on long-term tooth survival following apical resection. The marked sample imbalance between groups and the low number of cases in the MTA group substantially limited the statistical power. Therefore, the results should be interpreted as exploratory.

Key words: Apical resection, mineral trioxide aggregate, tooth survival, root-end filling