Riboflavin as a dentin crosslinking agent: ultraviolet A versus blue light
Amr S Fawzy1, Lorraine I Nitisusanta, Kulsum Iqbal
1Discipline of Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119083, Republic of Singapore. denasfmf@nus.edu.sg
Summary
Photo-activating riboflavin with UVA or blue light (BL) improves dentin's resistance to biodegradation and enhances bond strength. While UVA is more effective, BL offers a clinically viable alternative for strengthening demineralized dentin.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Dental Materials
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Demineralized dentin matrix is susceptible to biodegradation.
- Crosslinking agents can enhance the mechanical properties and durability of dentin.
- Riboflavin photo-activation is a potential method for crosslinking dentin collagen.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of riboflavin photo-activation using ultraviolet A (UVA) or visible blue light (BL) on demineralized dentin.
- To assess effects on biodegradation resistance, dentin matrix strength, bond strength, and resin/dentin interface morphology.
Main Methods:
- Dentin beams were demineralized and treated with riboflavin, then photo-activated with UVA or BL.
- Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and hydroxyproline (HYP) release were measured after collagenase challenge.
- Micro-tensile bond strength (μTBS) and interface morphology were evaluated after bonding with an etch-and-rinse adhesive.
Main Results:
- Both UVA and BL photo-activation significantly improved UTS and biodegradation resistance.
- UVA demonstrated superior improvement in UTS and biodegradation resistance compared to BL.
- After water storage, both UVA and BL methods maintained higher μTBS than the control, with UVA showing significantly better results.
Conclusions:
- Riboflavin photo-activation, particularly with UVA, enhances dentin's mechanical properties and resistance to degradation.
- Visible blue light serves as a clinically applicable and acceptable alternative to UVA, providing significant improvements in dentin crosslinking and bond strength.
- Both methods contribute to improved and maintained bond strength and interface integrity.
