Composites made of flame-sprayed bioactive glass 45S5 and polymers: bioactivity and immediate sealing properties.
OBJECTIVE
To engineer systems using polyisoprene (PI) or polycaprolactone (PCL) and nanometric bioactive glass 45S5 (BG) that could create a hydroxyapatite interface and thus ultimately make the use of an endodontic sealer unnecessary.


METHODS
Different composites using PI or PCL as matrix material were prepared with BG contents of up to 30 wt%. Unfilled PI and PCL, commercially available filled PI (Obtura gutta-percha) and PCL pellets (Resilon) served as control materials. Bioactivity (in vitro precipitate formation in simulated body fluid) was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. To test immediate sealing ability, simulated root canals were filled with heated materials, and dye leakage was assessed. Leakage was statistically compared between groups using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance followed by Mann-Whitney U tests and Bonferroni correction. The alpha-type error was set at 0.05.


RESULTS
Both composite systems revealed hydroxyapatite formation on their surface. This was not observed on control materials. Incorporating 30 wt% BG into PI and PCL significantly (P < 0.05) improved their immediate sealing ability compared to that of unfilled polymers, so that dye leakage in simulated root canals was prevented completely.


CONCLUSIONS
Polyisoprene and PCL composites with BG showed promising results as single root canal filling materials. Incorporation of BG fillers into the polymers under investigation made the resulting composite materials bioactive and improved their immediate sealing ability.
Mohn
D
D
Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Zürich, Switzerland.
Bruhin
C
C
Luechinger
N A
NA
Stark
W J
WJ
Imfeld
T
T
Zehnder
M
M
D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000737:chemistry; D002516:Ceramics; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001840:Dental Bonding; D003763:Dental Leakage / Q000145:classification; D003786:Dental Pulp Cavity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D006171:Gutta-Percha / Q000737:chemistry; D045782:Hemiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry; D010420:Pentanes / Q000737:chemistry; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002070:Butadienes; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003188:Composite Resins; D045782:Hemiterpenes; D010420:Pentanes; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D012387:Root Canal Filling Materials; C425330:bioactive glass 45S5; C486892:resilon sealer; C005059:isoprene; C016240:polycaprolactone; D006171:Gutta-Percha; D017886:Durapatite