Chlorhexidine-loaded poly (amido amine) dendrimer and a dental adhesive containing amorphous calcium phosphate nanofillers for enhancing bonding durability

VMT/ACP/Dextran composite nanosheets against dental caries through promoting mineralization of dentin tubules, pH buffering, and antibacterial

Dental caries is a worldwide public healthcare concern, and is closely related to the acidic environment that caused by bacterial decomposition of food. In this study, a two-step ion exchange liquid-phase stripping method was applied to strip out vermiculite (VMT) nanosheets, then amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and dextran were inserted between the VMT nanosheets interlayer to obtain a composite two-dimension nanosheets (VMT/ACP/Dextran). VMT/ACP/Dextran composite nanosheets exhibited excellent biocompatibility and could provide exogenous Ca2+and PO43- from ACP, provide SiO44-, Mg2+, Fe2+ and obtain buffering pH and antibacterial properties from VMT, as well as improve suspension stability and targeting Streptococcus mutans through glucan. The in vitro study showed that the composite materials could promote the mineralization and sealing of dentin tubules by releasing active ions, buffer pH 4.5 (a value close to the pH in the dental plaque environment) to pH 6.6-7.1 (values close to the pH in human saliva) through ion exchange, and exert antibacterial effects by targeting Streptococcus mutans and exerting oxidase like and peroxidase like activities to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). The in vivo animal study showed that daily cleaning teeth using VMT/ACP/Dextran composite nanosheets could effectively reduce the incidence rate and severity of dental caries in rats. Taking together, the developed VMT/ACP/Dextran composite nanosheets, which integrated the excellent properties of VMT, ACP and dextran, can effectively prevent dental caries through a combination of factors such as buffering acids, antibacterial properties, and promoting calcification, and may be used as an active ingredient for daily oral hygiene or filling materials to prevent and treat dental caries.

A comparison of different cleaning approaches for blood contamination after curing universal adhesives on the dentine surface

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the effectiveness of various cleaning approaches, including spray rinsing, repreparing with diamond burs, and using phosphoric acid or sodium hypochlorite alone or with polyphenols (resveratrol or myricetin), in removing blood contamination from the dentine after adhesive light-curing.

METHODS

The contact angles of the treated surfaces were measured and scanning electron microscopy/ energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy observation was performed. The bond strength and nanoleakage were assessed, and in situ zymography was performed before and after aging. Interactions between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and polyphenols were evaluated using molecular dynamics and rhMMP-9 inhibition analyses. The destruction of sodium hypochlorite on collagen and the resistance of polyphenols-treated dentine collagen to enzymolysis were evaluated using the hydroxyproline (HYP) assay. The effect of polyphenols on dentine collagen crosslinking was assessed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

RESULTS

The repreparation group had the lowest contact angle compared to the other groups. The spray rinsing group had the lowest bond strength and highest amounts of nanoleakage. Cleaning with phosphoric acid or sodium hypochlorite alone removed the blood contaminants and parts of the adhesive; moreover, applying polyphenols further improved the bond strength and decreased nanoleakage and MMP activity after aging. Both polyphenols inhibited rhMMP-9 activity and promoted collagen crosslinking. Sodium hypochlorite showed the maximum HYP release when used alone, which was decreased after adding polyphenols.

SIGNIFICANCE

Phosphoric acid or sodium hypochlorite cleaning can remove blood contamination from the dentine surface after adhesive curing, and the addition of polyphenols can improve the durability of dentine bonding.

Rapid Intrafibrillar Mineralization Strategy Enhances Adhesive-Dentin Interface

Biomimetic mineralization of dentin collagen appears to be a promising strategy to optimize dentin bonding durability. However, traditional postbonding mineralization strategies based on Ca/P ion release still have some drawbacks, such as being time-consuming, having a spatiotemporal mismatch, and having limited intrafibrillar minerals. To tackle these problems, a prebonding rapid intrafibrillar mineralization strategy was developed in the present study. Specifically, polyacrylic acid-stabilized amorphous calcium fluoride (PAA-ACF) was found to induce rapid intrafibrillar mineralization of the single-layer collagen model and dentin collagen at just 1 min and 10 min, as identified by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. This strategy has also been identified to strengthen the mechanical properties of demineralized dentin within a clinically acceptable timeframe. Significantly, the bonding strength of the PAA-ACF-treated groups outperformed the control group irrespective of aging modes. In addition, the endogenous matrix metalloproteinases as well as exogenous bacterial erosion were inhibited, thus reducing the degradation of dentin collagen. High-quality integration of the hybrid layer and the underlying dentin was also demonstrated. On the basis of the present results, the concept of "prebonding rapid intrafibrillar mineralization" was proposed. This user-friendly scheme introduced PAA-ACF-based intrafibrillar mineralization into dentin bonding for the first time. As multifunctional primers, PAA-ACF precursors have the potential to shed new light on prolonging the service life of adhesive restorations, with promising significance.

Synergistic effect of ion-releasing fillers on the remineralization and mechanical properties of resin-dentin bonding interfaces

In modern restorative dentistry, adhesive resin materials are vital for achieving minimally invasive, esthetic, and tooth-preserving restorations. However, exposed collagen fibers are found in the hybrid layer of the resin-dentin bonding interface due to incomplete resin penetration. As a result, the hybrid layer is susceptible to attack by internal and external factors such as hydrolysis and enzymatic degradation, and the durability of dentin bonding remains limited. Therefore, efforts have been made to improve the stability of the resin-dentin interface and achieve long-term clinical success. New ion-releasing adhesive resin materials are synthesized by introducing remineralizing ions such as calcium and phosphorus, which continuously release mineral ions into the bonding interface in resin-bonded restorations to achieve dentin biomimetic remineralization and improve bond durability. As an adhesive resin material capable of biomimetic mineralization, maintaining excellent bond strength and restoring the mechanical properties of demineralized dentin is the key to its function. This paper reviews whether ion-releasing dental adhesive materials can maintain the mechanical properties of the resin-dentin bonding interface by supplementing the various active ingredients required for dentin remineralization from three aspects: phosphate, silicate, and bioactive glass.

Intrafibrillar mineralization of type I collagen by micelle-loaded amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles

Mineralization of type I collagen fibrils is highly desired for artificial bone preparation and teeth repairing. Generally, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) combined with non-collagenous protein analogue (NCPA) were used for biomimetic remineralization of collagen fibrils. However, the ACP was likely to aggregate to form larger particles that could not infiltrate into the gaps of the collagen for intrafibrillar mineralization, and the poor storage stability of ACP has challenged its practical applications. To address this question, here we assembled ACP that was stabilized by carboxylated polyamidoamine (CPAMAM) at a pH of 6.5 to form dispersed nanoparticles of 25 nm in size, which was named as ACP/CPAMAM. The ACP/CPAMAM nanoparticles were further loaded into micelles composed of polysorbate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to further improve their storage stability. The micelle-loaded ACP/CPAMAM particles could maintain their amorphous phase after storage for 12 months. During the mineralization of collagen fibrils, isopropanol (IPA) was introduced to dissolve the micelles and release the ACP/CPAMAM nanoparticles. By using micelle-loaded ACP/CPAMAM, good intrafibrillar mineralization of type I collagen was demonstrated. This work provides novel methods for preparing ACP nanoparticles with good storage stability and controllable release for intrafibrillar mineralization.

Investigation of Soft Matter Nanomechanics by Atomic Force Microscopy and Optical Tweezers: A Comprehensive Review

Soft matter exhibits a multitude of intrinsic physico-chemical attributes. Their mechanical properties are crucial characteristics to define their performance. In this context, the rigidity of these systems under exerted load forces is covered by the field of biomechanics. Moreover, cellular transduction processes which are involved in health and disease conditions are significantly affected by exogenous biomechanical actions. In this framework, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical tweezers (OT) can play an important role to determine the biomechanical parameters of the investigated systems at the single-molecule level. This review aims to fully comprehend the interplay between mechanical forces and soft matter systems. In particular, we outline the capabilities of AFM and OT compared to other classical bulk techniques to determine nanomechanical parameters such as Young's modulus. We also provide some recent examples of nanomechanical measurements performed using AFM and OT in hydrogels, biopolymers and cellular systems, among others. We expect the present manuscript will aid potential readers and stakeholders to fully understand the potential applications of AFM and OT to soft matter systems.

Dendritic Polymers in Tissue Engineering: Contributions of PAMAM, PPI PEG and PEI to Injury Restoration and Bioactive Scaffold Evolution

The capability of radially polymerized bio-dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers for medical applications is well established. Perhaps the most important implementations are those that involve interactions with the regenerative mechanisms of cells. In general, they are non-toxic or exhibit very low toxicity. Thus, they allow unhindered and, in many cases, faster cell proliferation, a property that renders them ideal materials for tissue engineering scaffolds. Their resemblance to proteins permits the synthesis of derivatives that mimic collagen and elastin or are capable of biomimetic hydroxy apatite production. Due to their distinctive architecture (core, internal branches, terminal groups), dendritic polymers may play many roles. The internal cavities may host cell differentiation genes and antimicrobial protection drugs. Suitable terminal groups may modify the surface chemistry of cells and modulate the external membrane charge promoting cell adhesion and tissue assembly. They may also induce polymer cross-linking for healing implementation in the eyes, skin, and internal organ wounds. The review highlights all the different categories of hard and soft tissues that may be remediated with their contribution. The reader will also be exposed to the incorporation of methods for establishment of biomaterials, functionalization strategies, and the synthetic paths for organizing assemblies from biocompatible building blocks and natural metabolites.

Enhancing bioactivity and stability of polymer-based material-tissue interface through coupling multiscale interfacial interactions with atomic-thin TiO2 nanosheets

Stable and bioactive material-tissue interface (MTF) basically determines the clinical applications of biomaterials in wound healing, sustained drug release, and tissue engineering. Although many inorganic nanomaterials have been widely explored to enhance the stability and bioactivity of polymer-based biomaterials, most are still restricted by their stability and biocompatibility. Here we demonstrate the enhanced bioactivity and stability of polymer-matrix bio-composite through coupling multiscale material-tissue interfacial interactions with atomically thin TiO2 nanosheets. Resin modified with TiO2 nanosheets displays improved mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and stability. Also, we confirm that this resin can effectively stimulate the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation into osteogenic and odontogenic lineages of human dental pulp stem cells using in vitro cell-resin interface model. TiO2 nanosheets can also enhance the interaction between demineralized dentinal collagen and resin. Our results suggest an approach to effectively up-regulate the stability and bioactivity of MTFs by designing biocompatible materials at the sub-nanoscale.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material (further details of fabrication and characterization of TiO2 NSs and TiO2-ARCs, the bioactivity evaluation of TiO2-ARCs on hDPSCs, and the measurement of interaction with demineralized dentin collagen) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-022-5153-1.

Effects of the Combined Application of Trimethylated Chitosan and Carbodiimide on the Biostability and Antibacterial Activity of Dentin Collagen Matrix

The structural integrity of a dentin matrix that has been demineralized by the clinical use of etchants or calcium-depleting endodontic irrigants, such as endodontic ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), is often deteriorated due to the collagenolytic activities of reactivated endogenous enzymes as well as the infiltration of extrinsic bacteria. Therefore, the biomodification of dentin collagen with improved stability and antibacterial activity holds great promise in conservative dentistry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the combined application of trimethylated chitosan (TMC) and 1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl]carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) on the biostability and antibacterial activity of the demineralized dentin collagen matrix. The morphological changes in the collagen matrix were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the amount of TMC adsorbed on the collagen surface was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the elastic modulus was measured by a three-point bending device. Dry weight loss and amino acid release were detected to evaluate its anti-collagenase degradation performance. The antibacterial performance was detected by confocal microscopy. The TMC-treated group had less collagen space and a more compact collagen arrangement, while the untreated group had a looser collagen arrangement. The combined application of TMC and EDC can increase the elastic modulus, reduce the loss of elastic modulus, and result in good antibacterial performance. The current study proved that a dentin collagen matrix biomodified by TMC and EDC showed improved biodegradation resistance and antibacterial activities.