Objectives The objectives of this study were to develop bonding agent containing a new antibacterial monomer dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMADDM) as well as nanoparticles of silver (NAg) and nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP), and to investigate the effects of water-ageing for 6 months on dentine bond strength and anti-biofilm properties for the first time. Methods Four bonding agents were tested: Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (SBMP) Primer and Adhesive control; SBMP + 5% DMADDM; SBMP + 5% DMADDM + 0.1% NAg; and SBMP + 5% DMADDM + 0.1% NAg with 20% NACP in adhesive. Specimens were water-aged for 1 d and 6 months at 37 °C. Then the dentine shear bond strengths were measured. A dental plaque microcosm biofilm model was used to inoculate bacteria on water-aged specimens and to measure metabolic activity, colony-forming units (CFUs), and lactic acid production. Results Dentine bond strength showed a 35% loss in 6 months of water-ageing for SBMP control (mean ± sd; n = 10); in contrast, the new antibacterial bonding agents showed no strength loss. The DMADDM–NAg–NACP containing bonding agent imparted a strong antibacterial effect by greatly reducing biofilm viability, metabolic activity and acid production. The biofilm CFU was reduced by more than two orders of magnitude, compared to SBMP control. Furthermore, the DMADDM–NAg–NACP bonding agent exhibited a long-term antibacterial performance, with no significant difference between 1 d and 6 months (p > 0.1). Conclusions Incorporating DMADDM–NAg–NACP in bonding agent yielded potent and long-lasting antibacterial properties, and much stronger bond strength after 6 months of water-ageing than a commercial control. The new antibacterial bonding agent is promising to inhibit biofilms and caries at the margins. The method of DMADDM–NAg–NACP incorporation may have a wide applicability to other adhesives, cements and composites.

Objectives Half of dental restorations fail in 10 years, with secondary caries as the main reason. Calcium phosphate composites could remineralize tooth lesions. The objectives of this study were to: (1) Impart antibacterial activity to a composite with nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP); and (2) investigate the effect of quaternary ammonium dimethacrylate (QADM) on mechanical and dental plaque microcosm biofilm properties for the first time. Methods The NACP and glass particles were filled into a dental resin that contained bis(2-methacryloyloxy-ethyl) dimethyl-ammonium bromide, the QADM. NACP nanocomposites containing 0%, 7%, 14%, and 17.5% of QADM by mass, respectively, were photo-cured. A commercial composite with no antibacterial activity was used as control. Mechanical properties were measured in three-point flexure. A human saliva microcosm model was used to grow biofilms on composites. Live/dead assay, metabolic activity, colony-forming unit (CFU) counts, and lactic acid production of biofilms on the composites were measured. Results Increasing QADM mass fraction monotonically reduced the biofilm viability, CFU and lactic acid. Biofilms on NACP nanocomposite with 17.5% QADM had metabolic activity that was 30% that on a commercial composite control (p<0.05). Total microorganisms, total streptococci, and mutans streptococci CFU counts (mean±sd; n=6) on composite control was 6-fold those on NACP+17.5% QADM nanocomposite. Composite control had long strings of cells with normal short-rod shapes, while some cells on NACP-QADM nanocomposites disintegrated into pieces. Adding QADM to NACP did not decrease the strength and elastic modulus, which matched (p>0.1) those of a commercial composite without Ca-PO4 or antibacterial activity. Significance A dental plaque microcosm model was used to evaluate the novel NACP-QADM nanocomposite. The nanocomposite greatly reduced the biofilm viability, metabolic activity and lactic acid, while its mechanical properties matched those of a commercial composite. NACP-QADM nanocomposite with calcium phosphate fillers, good mechanical properties and a strong antibacterial activity may have potential for anti-biofilm and anti-caries restorations.

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A model is tested to rapidly evaluate the vibrational properties of alloys with site disorder. It is shown that length-dependent transferable force constants exist and can be used to accurately predict the vibrational entropy of substitutionally ordered and disordered structures in Au-Cu, Au-Pd, and Cu-Pd. For each relevant force constant, a length-dependent function is determined and fitted to force constants obtained from firstprinciples pseudopotential calculations. We show that these transferable force constants can accurately predict vibrational entropies of L1 2 -ordered and disordered phases in