Highlights COVID-19 has dramatically impacted people’s lives around the world. The effects of the quarantines and social distancing have changed family’s dynamic, including dietary habits. Most parents have avoided seeking dental treatment even after trauma history during the pandemic.

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Objectives To evaluate the effect of EDC on elastic modulus (E), MMPs activity, hydroxyproline (HYP) release and thermal denaturation temperature of demineralized dentin collagen. Methods Dentin beams were obtained from human molars and completely demineralized in 10 wt% H3PO4 for 18 h. The initial E and MMP activity were determined with three-point bending and microcolorimetric assay, respectively. Extra demineralized beams were dehydrated and the initial dry mass (DM) was determined. All the beams were distributed into groups (n = 10) and treated for 30 s or 60 s with: water, 0.5 M, 1 M or 2 M EDC or 10% glutaraldehyde (GA). After treatment, the new E and MMP activity were redetermined. The beams submitted to DM measurements were storage for 1 week in artificial saliva, after that the mass loss and HYP release were evaluated. The collagen thermal denaturation temperature (TDT) was determined by DSC analysis. Data for E, MMP activity and HYP release were submitted to Wilcoxon and Kruskal–Wallis or Mann–Whitney tests. Mass loss and TDT data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey tests at the 5% of significance. Results EDC was able to significantly increase collagen stiffness in 60 s. 10% GA groups obtained the highest E values after both 30 and 60 s. All cross-linking agents decreased MMP activity and HYP release and increased TDT temperature. Significant differences were identified among EDC groups after 30 or 60 s of cross-linking, 1 M or 2 M EDC showed the lowest MMP activity. Significance Cross-linking agents are capable of preventing dentin collagen degradation. EDC treatment may be clinically useful to increase resin-dentin stability.

This study determined if dentin proteases are denatured by phosphoric acid (PA) used in etch-and-rinse dentin adhesives. Dentin beams were completely demineralized with EDTA for 30 days. We "acid-etched" experimental groups by exposing the demineralized dentin beams to 1, 10, or 37 mass% PA for 15 sec or 15 min. Control beams were not exposed to PA but were incubated in simulated body fluid for 3 days to assay their total endogenous telopeptidase activity, by their ability to solubilize C-terminal crosslinked telopeptides ICTP and CTX from insoluble dentin collagen. Control beams released 6.1 ± 0.8 ng ICTP and 0.6 ± 0.1 ng CTX/mg dry-wt/3 days. Positive control beams pre-incubated in p-aminophenylmercuric acetate, a compound known to activate proMMPs, released about the same amount of ICTP peptides, but released significantly less CTX. Beams immersed in 1, 10, or 37 mass% PA for 15 sec or 15 min released amounts of ICTP and CTX similar to that released by the controls (p > 0.05). Beams incubated in galardin, an MMP inhibitor, or E-64, a cathepsin inhibitor, blocked most of the release of ICTP and CTX, respectively. It is concluded that PA does not denature endogenous MMP and cathepsin activities of dentin matrices.

Objectives Published TEM analysis of in vivo resin-dentin bonds shows that in 44 months almost 70% of collagen fibrils from the hybrid layer disappear. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in that process and are thought to be the main factor responsible for the solubitization of dentin collagen. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the inactivation of matrix-bound MMPs by carbodiimide (EDC) or proanthocyanidin (PA) both cross-linking agents, or the MMP-inhibitor, chlorhexidine (CHX), on acid-etched dentin using a simplified MMP assay method. Methods Dentin beams (1×1×6mm) were obtained from mid-coronal dentin of sound third molars and randomly divided into 6 groups (G) according to the dentin treatment: G1: Deionized water (control), G2: 0.1M EDC, G3: 0.5M EDC, G4: 0.5M EDC+35% HEMA, G5: 5% Proanthocyanidin (PA) and G6: 2% CHX. The beams were etched for 15s with 37% phosphoric acid, rinsed and then immersed for 60s in one of the treatment solutions. The total MMP activity of dentin was analyzed for 1 h by colorimetric assay (Sensolyte). Data were submitted to Wilcoxon non-parametric test and Mann-Whitney tests (p>0.05). Results All experimental cross-linking solutions significantly reduced MMP activity compared to control, except 0.1M EDC (53.6% ±16.1). No difference was observed between cross-linking agents and 2% CHX 0.5M EDC + 35% HEMA (92.3% ±8.0) was similar to 0.5M EDC (89.1% ±6.4), 5% PA (100.8% ±10.9) and 2% CHX (83.4% ±10.9). Conclusion Dentin treatment with cross-linking agents is effective to significantly reduce MMP activity. Mixing 0.5M EDC and 35% HEMA did not influence EDC inhibitor potential.