The impact of sorption, buffering, and proteins on leaching of organic and inorganic substances from dental resin core material

Effect of light attenuation through veneers on bond strength of adhesives with photoinitiator combinations

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of light attenuation through ceramic veneers and resin cement on degree of conversion (DC), cohesive strength (CS), and microshear bond strength (μSBS) of experimental adhesive systems. Experimental etch-and-rinse and self-etch adhesives were combined with different ratios of camphorquinone (CQ) and diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide (TPO) photoinitiators: CQ-only; 3CQ:1TPO; 1CQ:1TPO; 1CQ:3TPO and TPO-only. Square-shaped ceramic veneer (IPS Empress Esthetic, Ivoclar Vivadent) (n = 10; 10mm long x 10mm wide x 0.5mm thick) and resin cement specimens (Variolink Esthetic LC, Ivoclar Vivadent) (n = 10; 10 mm long x 10 mm wide and 0.3 mm thick) were prepared. Light transmittance of a multiple-peak LED (Bluephase G2, Ivoclar Vivadent) was measured through restorative materials using a spectrometer (n = 5). Adhesive specimens were analyzed for DC, CS, and μSBS by light-curing the adhesive with or without (control) ceramic veneer, and with resin cement fixed to output region of the light-curing tip (n = 10). Data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Total light transmittance through the restorative materials was attenuated, and this attenuation was more evident for the violet spectrum. The DC for the TPO groups in ratios up to 1CQ:1TPO was similar to the control. 1CQ:3TPO showed lower values for CS. μSBS was reduced for all groups with light attenuation, but lower values were observed for 1CQ:3TPO and TPO-only. In conclusion, light transmission was reduced with interposed restorative materials. Adhesives combined with CQ and TPO up to 1CQ:1TPO showed greater cure efficiency and mechanical properties compared with a higher amount of TPO.

The First Step in Standardizing an Artificial Aging Protocol for Dental Composites—Evaluation of Basic Protocols

The clinical performance of a dental restoration is strongly influenced by the complex and dynamically-changing oral environment; however, no standard procedure exists to evaluate this lifetime. This research provides an in-depth analysis of the effect of different aging procedures on the flexural strength (FS), diametral tensile strength (DTS) and hardness (HV) of selected dental materials (Resin F, Flow-Art and Arkon). Material structure was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that each aging protocol had some influence on the tested properties, with continual erosion and degradation being observed. Greater mechanical degradation was observed for Resin F (neat resin) after the applied aging protocols, suggesting that a resin matrix is more susceptible for degradation. The most aggressive aging protocol was Protocol 5: 0.1 M NaOH, seven days, 60 °C. Further studies on the effect of artificial aging on dental materials should include a study of the thermal and chemical factors. A standardized aging procedure is crucial for improving the resistance of dental resin composite to oral conditions and their clinical performance.

Monomer Release from Dental Resins: The Current Status on Study Setup, Detection and Quantification for In Vitro Testing

Improvements in mechanical properties and a shift of focus towards esthetic dentistry led to the application of dental resins in various areas of dentistry. However, dental resins are not inert in the oral environment and may release monomers and other substances such as Bisphenol-A (BPA) due to incomplete polymerization and intraoral degradation. Current research shows that various monomers present cytotoxic, genotoxic, proinflammatory, and even mutagenic effects. Of these eluting substances, the elution of BPA in the oral environment is of particular interest due to its role as an endocrine disruptor. For this reason, the release of residual monomers and especially BPA from dental resins has been a cause for public concern. The assessment of patient exposure and potential health risks of dental monomers require a reliable experimental and analytical setup. However, the heterogeneous study design applied in current research hinders biocompatibility testing by impeding comparative analysis of different studies and transfer to the clinical situation. Therefore, this review aims to provide information on each step of a robust experimental and analytical in vitro setup that allows the collection of clinically relevant data and future meta-analytical evaluations.

Effect of the Degree of Conversion on Mechanical Properties and Monomer Elution from Self-, Dual- and Light-Cured Core Composites

The objective of this work was to measure and correlate the degree of conversion (DC), mechanical properties and monomer elution from self-, dual- and light-cured core composites. Five samples of each of the following materials were prepared for each test: Clearfil (Core, Photo Core, Automix), Bisco (Core-Flo, Light-Core and Bis-Core). DC was determined using FTIR, compressive and flexural strength and modulus of elasticity using a universal testing machine and microhardness using Vickers hardness. Elution was measured using HPLC. One-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-test and Pearson's correlation were used to statistically analyze the data. DC of Clearfil-Dual (70.1%) and Clerafil-Photo (66.8%) were higher than Clearfil-Self (55.4%) and all Bisco materials (51.4-55.3%). Flexural strength of Clearfilwas higher than that of Bisco composites. The Microhardness of Clearfil-Dual (119.8VHN) and Clearfil-Photo (118.0VHN) were higher compared to other materials. The greatest elution was detected from self-cured materials. DC positively correlated to microhardness and compressive/flexural strength and negatively to BisGMA elution. Clearfil-Photo and Automix showed higher conversion, lower monomer elution and, generally, better mechanical properties. Self-cured composites should not be recommended for routine clinical use as their performance was inferior to dual- and light-cured composites. Microhardness may be used as an indicator of elution.

Cytotoxic Evaluation and Determination of Organic and Inorganic Eluates from Restorative Materials

Over the last years, diverse commercial resin-based composites have dominated as dental filling materials. The purpose of the present study was to determine organic and inorganic eluates from five restorative materials using GC/MS and ICP–OES and to compare the effect on cell survival of human gingival fibroblasts of a conventional and a bioactive resin. Five commercially available restorative materials were employed for this study: Activa^TM Bioactive Restorative, ENA HRi, Enamel plus HRi Biofunction, Fuji II LC Capsule, and Fuji IX Capsule. Disks that were polymerized with a curing LED light or left to set were immersed in: 1 mL methanol or artificial saliva for GC/MS analysis, 5mL deionized water for ICP–OES, and 5mL of culture medium for cell viability. Cell viability was investigated with a modified staining sulforhodamine B assay.The following organic substances were detected: ACP, BHT, BPA, 1,4-BDDMA, CQ, DBP, DMABEE, HEMA, MCE, MeHQ, MOPA, MS, TMPTMA, and TPSb and the ions silicon, aluminum, calcium, sodium, and barium. Activa Bioactive Restorative was found to be biocompatible. Elution of organic substances depended on material’s composition, the nature of the solvent and the storage time. Ions’ release depended on material’s composition and storage time. The newly introduced bioactive restorative was found to be more biocompatible.

Detection and quantification of monomers in unstimulated whole saliva after treatment with resin-based composite fillings in vivo

Resin-based dental restorative materials contain allergenic methacrylate monomers, which may be released into saliva after restorative treatment. Monomers from resin-based composite materials have been demonstrated in saliva in vitro; however, studies analyzing saliva after restorative therapy are scarce. The aim of this study was to quantify methacrylate monomers in saliva after treatment with a resin-based composite filling material. Saliva was collected from 10 patients at four start points--before treatment, and 10 min, 24 h, and 7 d after treatment--and analysed by combined chromatography/mass spectrometry. The monomers bisphenol-A diglycidyl methacrylate (Bis-GMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) were detected and quantified in the samples collected shortly (10 min) after treatment. The amounts detected ranged from 0.028 to 9.65 μg ml(-1) for Bis-GMA, from 0.015 to 0.19 μg ml(-1) for HEMA, and from 0.004 to 1.2 μg ml(-1) for UDMA. Triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) was detected in four of the samples. Ethoxylated bisphenol-A dimethacrylate (Bis-EMA) was not detected. Monomers were not detected in saliva samples collected before treatment, or 24 h or 7 d after treatment, with the exception of one sample, 24 h after treatment, in which HEMA was detected. In conclusion, monomers from the investigated resin-based composite and adhesive system were present in saliva shortly after treatment. One week after treatment, no monomers could be detected in patients' saliva samples.