*2.2. Experimental Disks of Four Calcium Silicate-Based Cements*

The calcium silicate-based cements tested in the present study were ProRoot MTA (Dentsply Tulsa Dental Specialties), Biodentine (Septodont), Endocem Zr (Maruchi), and RetroMTA (BioMTA). Their compositions are presented in Table 1. All cements were mixed according to the manufacturer's guidelines. We produced disks of each cement 6 mm in diameter and 3 mm in height using sterile rubber molds under aseptic conditions. All disks were placed in a 100% humidity incubator at 37 ◦C for 48 h, then sterilized using ultraviolet light at room temperature for 4 h.


**Table 1.** The manufacturer and chemical composition of each experimental calcium silicate-based cement used in this study [17,22–24].
