Clinical manipulation of mineral trioxide aggregate: lessons from the construction industry and their relevance to clinical practice.

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) is based on ordinary Portland cement (with added radiopaque agents) and, thus, shares many of its features. Although MTA is reported to be difficult to handle clinically, concrete materials made using Portland cement are the foundation of the construction industry. In this paper, we summarize important lessons from the construction literature that are relevant to the successful use of MTA in clinical practice, including behaviour during storage, susceptibility to acidic environments, the effects of exposure of the setting material to moisture and interactions with substances that may interfere with the speed of setting and the quality of the end product.