Improving performance of dental resins by adding titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Dental resins are crucial in restorative dentistry but often face limitations in mechanical properties and durability.
• Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) possess desirable mechanical and photoactive characteristics that can potentially enhance polymer matrices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of incorporating acrylic acid modified TiO₂ NPs (AP25) on the performance of dental resin composites.
• To optimize the concentration of AP25 for improved mechanical properties and adhesive strength.

Main Methods:

• AP25 were synthesized and incorporated into a bis-phenol-A-dimethacrylate/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate resin at various mass fractions.
• Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the degree of vinyl conversion (DC).
• Mechanical properties including elastic modulus and hardness were assessed using nanoindentation and microindentation, while 3-point bending tests evaluated flexural properties. Shear bond strength (SBS) to dentin was also measured.

Main Results:

• The DC of the resin increased with AP25 content, plateauing at 0.1% with an approximate 7% improvement.
• Elastic modulus and hardness showed significant increases, peaking at approximately 0.06% AP25, with modulus increasing by ~48% and hardness more than doubling compared to NP-free resin.
• Dental adhesives formulated with 0.1% AP25 demonstrated a ~30% higher mean SBS than NP-free controls.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating small amounts of AP25 dramatically improves the degree of conversion and mechanical properties of dental resins.
• The enhanced properties suggest that AP25-modified resins hold significant promise for developing superior dental adhesives.