The current opinions and use of MTA for apical barrier formation of non-vital immature permanent incisors by consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK

The purpose of the study was to assess the current opinions and usage of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) for apical barrier formation of non-vital immature permanent teeth by consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK. A semi-structured postal questionnaire was sent to all known consultants in paediatric dentistry in the UK. The response rate was 78.6% (44 of 56). Thity-eight consultants (86.3%) agreed that the use of this material was a good idea with 68.2% having used or arranged for its use in apical barrier formation. Forty-two consultants (95.5%) agreed that reduced number of visits was an advantage to the technique, with only 34.1% agreeing that this procedure was less likely to weaken the tooth and 63.6% agreed that material and equipment costs were a drawback and 50% agreed that lack of available evidence was a disadvantage to its use. The results from this study give an indication of the extent of MTA use by consultant-led services in paediatric dentistry in the UK and highlights the need for a multi-centre randomised controlled clinical trial.