[The unresolved contest between MTA and IRM as apical barrier material in apicoectomies. A retrospective cohort...

When endodontic treatment of periapical infection does not suffice, apicoectomy might be the next treatment of choice. Years of treatment development have optimised it as far as possible, but the optimal apical barrier material has still not been indicated. Does MTA as an apical barrier material in apicoectomies effectuate a higher success rate than IRM? A retrospective cohort study analysed all patients who underwent an apicoectomy between 2015 and 2020. Patients for whom the apical barrier material had not been registered, or who were treated by a resident, were excluded. Patients were retrospectively allocated to either the MTA or IRM group. A total of 1,347 treatments were analysed, with an overall success rate of 71%. The MTA group had a success rate of 71%, and the IRM group had a success rate of 70% (p = 0.794). The study revealed that the success rate of apicoectomies was 71%, regardless of the type of material used as the apical barrier. Hence, the use of either material is justified.