Analyses of Experimental Dental Adhesives Based on Zirconia/Silver Phosphate Nanoparticles

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the incorporation of zirconia/silver phosphate nanoparticles to develop experimental dental adhesives and to measure their physical and mechanical properties. The nanoparticles were synthesized by the sonication method, and the phase purity, morphological pattern, and antibacterial properties with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were assessed. The silanized nanoparticles were incorporated (0, 0.15, 0.25, and 0.5 wt.%) into the photoactivated dimethacrylate resins. The degree of conversion (DC) was assessed, followed by the micro-hardness and flexural strength/modulus test. Long-term color stability was investigated. The bond strength with the dentin surface was conducted on days 1 and 30. The transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffractogram confirmed the nano-structure and phase purity of the particles. The nanoparticles showed antibacterial activities against both strains and inhibited biofilm formation. The DC range of the experimental groups was 55–66%. The micro-hardness and flexural strength increased with the concentration of nanoparticles in the resin. The 0.5 wt.% group showed significantly high micro-hardness values, whereas a non-significant difference was observed between the experimental groups for flexural strength. The bond strength was higher on day 1 than on day 30, and a significant difference was observed between the two periods. At day 30, the 0.5 wt.% showed significantly higher values compared to other groups. Long-term color stability was observed for all the samples. The experimental adhesives showed promising results and potential to be used for clinical applications. However, further investigations such as antibacterial, penetration depth, and cytocompatibility are required.

Self-Etch Adhesive-Loaded ZrO2/Ag3PO4 Nanoparticles on Caries-Affected Dentin: A Tensile Bond Strength, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Survival Rate Assessment of S. mutans, and Degree of Conversion Analysis

“…The mixture was sonicated for 60 min. Precipitate was washed with distilled water and absolute ethanol several times and dried at 70 • C for 5 h [20].…”

“…Subsequently, these samples were examined using a scanning electron microscope (Jeol JSM-IT-100, Jeol, Osaka, Japan). The investigations involved the utilization of an accelerating voltage of 30 kV, and different magnifications were employed to capture detailed micrographs of the samples under inquiry [18][19][20].…”