The aim of a retrograde filling material is to fill the apical canal space and to obtain a hermetic seal between the periodontium and the root canal system. Several materials have been suggested for root‐end filling including: amalgam, gutta‐percha, zinc oxide–eugenol cements, glass ionomer cement, gold foil pellets, Cavit, composite resin and mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Super‐ethoxy benzoic acid and MTA are the most suitable materials and provide better results in apicoectomy procedures than other filling materials. Unfortunately, the ideal material for this purpose has yet to be found. This article is a review of the biocompatibility of retrograde filling materials.