[Self-setting apatite cement. VII. Barium-apatite as radio-opaque medium]

Addition of barium hydroxyapatite (BaAp) successfully bestowed clinically acceptable radioopacity to the self-setting apatite cement consisting of an equimolar mixture of tetracalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate. To accelerate the setting reaction which was retarded by Ba2+ released from BaAp at a lower pH during first stage of spatulation with 20 mM phosphoric acid, calcium hydroxyapatite (CaAp) was added to the cement mixture. At about 20 wt% of BaAp and 20 wt% CaAp, the setting reaction proceeded at a neutral or weak alkaline pH, which is one of the most promising aspects of the self-setting cement and assures that this type of cement may be the least irritating of the dental cements presently available. The cement spatulated at L/P = 0.4 set within 10 minutes and its radiopacity was comparable to or more than that of tooth enamel. The wet compressive strength of the set cement stored for one day in synthetic saliva at 37 degrees C was approximately 100 kgf/cm2. Although this value is almost one fourth that of 40 wt% CaAp cement, this cement appears to be strong enough to apply as root canal filling material.