A Comparative Review of Material Properties for Current and Future Dental Filling Nanomaterials

ABSTRACT Nanomaterials observe specialized properties relative to gross materials. Due to their small size, specialized nanomaterial properties include decreased reactivity, an increased surface area to volume ratio, heightened structural properties, and in some cases, antimicrobial and antibacterial effects. Current researchers are looking to use nanoparticle/nanomaterial properties to solve prevalent dental issues that cannot be addressed with traditionally used materials. This paper will serve as an extensive review of current nanomaterial applications as they pertain to dental fillings and dental filling processes. Comparative assessments of traditional materials used in dental fillings will be made as well as comparative assessments of currently used nanomaterials in dental fillings. Material comparisons are based on criteria pertaining to biocompatibility, toxicity, reactivity, cost, and antimicrobial/antibacterial properties. When comparing the three most currently used dental filling nanomaterials – Carbon-Based Nanotubes, Silica Nanoparticles and Silver-Coated Nanoparticles – it was observed that Silica Nanoparticles demonstrated the greatest material advantage and should be recommended for continued use. Issues regarding future developmental dental filling applications of graphene nanoparticles, organic nanoparticles and gold nanoparticles will also be discussed. Keywords: Nanomaterials, antibacterial, dental fillings, silica resins, biocompatibility.

Examination of Glass-Fibre Reinforced Composite Dental Fillings

In dentistry, the use of dental fillings is a routine procedure. The use of fillings is a cheap, simple and low-harm dental operation, however, the filling of deep cavities is a difficult task. During this research, three types of fillings were tested: composite fillings bonded directly to the cavity walls, fillings bonded to the cavity walls with a semi-direct method, and composite fillings bonded to the cavity lined with polyethylene fibres. In the course of our examinations, the gaps between the wall of the dental cavity and the dental filling were observed using scanning electron microscopy. The results of these measurements can be used to determine the quality of each type of filling procedure.

Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Resin-Based Materials Applied in Dental Restorations

Resin-based materials have been prevalent for dental restorations over the past few decades and have been widely used for a variety of direct and indirect procedures. Typically, resin-based dental materials are required to be flowable or moldable before setting and can provide adequate mechanical strength after setting. The setting method may include, but is not limited to, light-curing, self-curing or heating. In this review, based on different indications of resin-based dental materials (e.g., dental filling composite, dental bonding agent, resin luting cement), their rheological and mechanical properties were reviewed. Viscous and flexible properties were focused on for materials before setting, while elastic properties and mechanical strength were focused on for materials after setting. At the same time, the factors that may affect their rheological and mechanical properties were discussed. It is anticipated that the insightful information and prospections of this study will be useful to the future development and fabrication of resin-based dental restorative materials.

Erosive Effect of Acidic Beverages On Dental Filling Materials Surface (In Vitro Study)

Erosive tooth wear, that is characterized like irreversible loss of hard dental tissues due to influence of external and internal acids of nonbacterial origin, is one of the most common damage of a tooth surface. Erosive factors also affect the surface of dental reconstruction materials that ideally should be resistant against them. Dental filling materials designed for this purpose must be able to withstand these effects in a comparable or even better way than enamel. In our in vitro study we investigated using the nanoindentation the hardness of currently available dental filling materials (dental composite resin, self curing and dual cures glassionomer cement, dental amalgam) before and after erosive attacks (exposure to Coca Cola for 5 min and 14 days) and consequently compare it with them of human dental enamel. Furtermore we analised the surface topography of the samples before and after acidic exposure by confocal laser scanning microscope. In our experiments the filling materials were affected by the acidic environment only minimally in comparison with hard dental tissues. We confirmed the fact that dental amalgam is still the most mechanically and chemically resistant filling material. Both GIC materials showed the worst resistance against acidic conditions and higher surface roughness even before exposure. We also declared excellent withstanding of resin composite materials against acidic conditions that was even better than natural enamel. Furthermore by CLSM was detected almost unaltered surface of these filling materials. This fact as well as adhesive properties of resin composites allow to assume that this material could be the most suitable material for dental erosion reconstruction.

On the issue of composite materials

Caries is the pathological process of hard tissue demineralization in teeth caused by various factors. As a result, necrotic areas within the tooth are formed that require removal and subsequent reconstruction in order to re-establish tooth function. This is achieved by replacing the demineralized areas with dental filling materials. With a wide variety of available dental filling materials, the dentist is faced with the task of choosing the correct material depending on the nature of the lesion. To date, the most widely used permanent filling materials are composites, which constitute one of the largest groups of filling materials. They gained their popularity due to their numerous good qualities, and the continuous research within the field of dental materials enables further improvement of their properties. Currently, a new composite has appeared in dentistry, which helps to neutralize the salivary pH during acidosis, thereby preventing the development of dental caries

Compressive Strength of Dental E-Glass Microfiber-Reinforced Composite Resin in Mouthwash Immersion

Fiber-reinforced composite resin (FRC) is gaining popularity as dental filling material. In the oral cavity, it will contact with the oral environment including oral cleansing agents. This research was aimed to determine the effect of mouthwash on the compressive strength of FRC. The materials used were E-glass FRC (EverX Posterior, GC Corp, Japan), alcohol mouthwash (Original Listerine, Johnson&Johnson, Indonesia), alcohol-free mouthwash (Listerine Cool Mint Zero, Johnson&Johnson, Indonesia). Forty-five FRCs were made in cylindrical shapes. Specimens were divided into 2 groups of mouthwash immersion: alcohol and alcohol-free mouthwash. The groups were sub-grouped by 0, 6, 12, and 24 h immersion. Samples were recorded for compressive strength by Universal Testing Machine. The data were analyzed by ANOVA. The result of compressive strength values (MPa) were (alcohol mouthwash): 293.59±30.54 (0 h), 284.43±46.91 (6 h), 268.71±44.66 (12 h), 252.19±31.49 (24 h); (alcohol-free mouthwash): 294.12±28.17 (0 h), 287.30±35.56 (6 h), 273.32±41.94 (12 h), 260.82±40.67 (24 h). Statistical analysis revealed there was no significant influence of mouthwash type (alcohol or alcohol-free mouthwash), immersion duration (0, 6, 12, 24 h), and combination of mouthwash type and immersion duration (p>0.05) to the compressive strength of FRCs. The conclusions were the mouthwash types, immersion duration, and combination of mouthwash type and immersion duration did not influence the compressive strength of E-glass FRC