Collagen enhances compatibility and strength of glass ionomers

Glass ionomers have been used for perforation repair and retrograde filling where biointegration with periodontal tissue is required. Collagen has been demonstrated to promote cellular adhesion and enhance mineral tissue compressive strength. It was hypothesized that an appropriate concentration of collagen integrated into glass ionomer may improve both bio-compatibility and the mechanical properties of the material. By SEM and AFM, we discovered 70-nm granules appearing on the surfaces of glass-ionomer/collagen hybrids. Acid-etching revealed irregularly shaped particles interlinked by membrane-like sheets on the surface of the material with the typical 70-nm granules. WST-1 assay showed that acid-etching significantly enhanced the viability of attached gingival fibroblasts. However, the glass-ionomer/collagen hybrids' combined surface-etching outperformed other groups. The glass-ionomer/collagen hybrids presented enhanced compressive strength when integrated with 0.01% collagen, while higher concentrations of collagen compromised their mechanical property. In summary, collagen improved both the mechanical and biocompatible properties of glass ionomers. Further in vivo study is warranted.