In vitro evaluation of multi-walled carbon nanotube reinforced nanofibers composites for dental application

Effect of nanofibers as reinforcement on resin-based dental materials: A systematic review of in vitro studies

This systematic review provides an update on the effect of nanofibers as reinforcement on resin-based dental materials. A bibliographic search was conducted in MEDLINEPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, BVS (LILACS, BBO e IBECS), Cochrane, LIVIVO, and gray literature (BDTD) to identify relevant articles up to May 2021. In vitro studies that evaluated and compared the mechanical properties of nanofibers resin-based composite materials, were eligible. No publication year or language restriction was applied, and methodological quality was assessed using two methods. In a total of 6100 potentially eligible studies, 81 were selected for full-text analysis and 35 were included for qualitative analysis. Of the 35 included studies, a total of 29 studies evaluated the flexural strength (FS) of the materials. These groups were distinguished according to the resin-based materials tested and nanofiber types. Most of the studies evaluated materials composed of glass fibers and demonstrated higher values of FS when compared to resin-based materials without nanofibers. The incorporation of nanofibers into resin-based dental materials improved the mechanical properties compared to resin-based materials without nanofibers, suggesting better performance of these materials in high-stressbearing application areas. Further clinical studies are required to confirm the efficacy of resin-based materials with nanofibers.

Recent Advances in Designing Fibrous Biomaterials for the Domain of Biomedical, Clinical, and Environmental Applications

Unique properties and potential applications of nanofibers have emerged as innovative approaches and opportunities in the biomedical, healthcare, environmental, and biosensor fields. Electrospinning and centrifugal spinning strategies have gained considerable attention among all kinds of strategies to produce nanofibers. These techniques produce nanofibers with high porosity and surface area, adequate pore architecture, and diverse chemical compositions. The extraordinary characteristics of nanofibers have unveiled new gates in nanomedicine to establish innovative fiber-based formulations for biomedical use, healthcare, and a wide range of other applications. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of nanofibers and their broad range of applications, including drug delivery, biomedical scaffolds, tissue/bone-tissue engineering, dental applications, and environmental remediation in a single place. The review begins with a brief introduction followed by potential applications of nanofibers. Finally, the future perspectives and current challenges of nanofibers are demonstrated. This review will help researchers to engineer more efficient multifunctional nanofibers with improved characteristics for their effective use in broad areas. We strongly believe this review is a reader's delight and will help in dealing with the fundamental principles and applications of nanofiber-based scaffolds. This review will assist students and a broad range of scientific communities to understand the significance of nanofibers in several domains of nanotechnology, nanomedicine, biotechnology, and environmental remediation, which will set a benchmark for further research.

Latest Trends in Surface Modification for Dental Implantology: Innovative Developments and Analytical Applications

An increase in the world population and its life expectancy, as well as the ongoing concern about our physical appearance, have elevated the relevance of dental implantology in recent decades. Engineering strategies to improve the survival rate of dental implants have been widely investigated, focusing on implant material composition, geometry (usually guided to reduce stiffness), and interface surrounding tissues. Although efforts to develop different implant surface modifications are being applied in commercial dental prostheses today, the inclusion of surface coatings has gained special interest, as they can be tailored to efficiently enhance osseointegration, as well as to reduce bacterial-related infection, minimizing peri-implantitis appearance and its associated risks. The use of biomaterials to replace teeth has highlighted the need for the development of reliable analytical methods to assess the therapeutic benefits of implants. This literature review considers the state-of-the-art strategies for surface modification or coating and analytical methodologies for increasing the survival rate for teeth restoration.

Polymerization Shrinkage, Hygroscopic Expansion, Elastic Modulus and Degree of Conversion of Different Composites for Dental Application

Objectives: To characterize the mechanical properties of different resin-composites for dental application. Methods: Thirteen universal dentin shade composites (n = 10) from different manufacturers were evaluated (4 Seasons, Grandio, Venus, Amelogen Plus, P90, Z350, Esthet-X, Amaris, Vita-l-escence, Natural-Look, Charisma, Z250 and Opallis). The polymerization shrinkage percentage was calculated using a video-image recording device (ACUVOL—Bisco Dental) and the hygroscopic expansion was measured after thermocycling aging in the same equipment. Equal volumes of material were used and, after 5 min of relaxation, baseline measurements were calculated with 18 J of energy delivered from the light-curing unit. Specimens were stored in a dry-dark environment for 24 h then thermocycled in distilled water (5–55 °C for 20,000 cycles) with volume measurement at each 5000 cycles. In addition, the pulse-excitatory method was applied to calculate the elastic modulus and Poisson ratio for each resin material and the degree of conversion was evaluated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results: The ANOVA showed that all composite volumes were influenced by the number of cycles (α = 0.05). Volumes at 5 min post-polymerization (12.47 ± 0.08 cm3) were significantly lower than those at baseline (12.80 ± 0.09 cm3). With regard to the impact of aging, all resin materials showed a statistically significant increase in volume after 5000 cycles (13.04 ± 0.22 cm3). There was no statistical difference between volumes measured at the other cycle steps. The elastic modulus ranged from 22.15 to 10.06 GPa and the Poisson ratio from 0.54 to 0.22 with a significant difference between the evaluated materials (α = 0.05). The degree of conversion was higher than 60% for all evaluated resin composites.

Dental Applications of Carbon Nanotubes

Glass ionomer cements and resin-based composites are promising materials in restorative dentistry. However, their limited mechanical properties and the risk of bulk/marginal fracture compromise their lifespan. Intensive research has been conducted to understand and develop new materials that can mimic the functional behavior of the oral cavity. Nanotechnological approaches have emerged to treat oral infections and become a part of scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Carbon nanotubes are promising materials to create multifunctional platforms for dental applications. This review provides a comprehensive survey of and information on the status of this state-of-the-art technology and describes the development of glass ionomers reinforced with carbon nanotubes possessing improved mechanical properties. The applications of carbon nanotubes in drug delivery and tissue engineering for healing infections and lesions of the oral cavity are also described. The review concludes with a summary of the current status and presents a vision of future applications of carbon nanotubes in the practice of dentistry.

Dental Materials Coatings: Effect on the Clinical Behavior

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