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Ester-free thiol-ene dental restoratives--Part A: Resin development
Maciej Podgórski1, Eftalda Becka2, Mauro Claudino2
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, 3415 Colorado Ave, JSC Biotech Building, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Polymer Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, MCS University, Gliniana St. 33, 20-614 Lublin, Poland.
New ester-free thiol-ene dental resins offer improved toughness and reduced shrinkage stress, with lower water absorption compared to conventional dental composites. These advanced materials promise enhanced durability and performance in dental applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Science
- Dental Materials
Background:
- Conventional dental resins like BisGMA/TEGDMA face limitations including water uptake, degradation, and high polymerization shrinkage stress.
- Developing ester-free alternatives is crucial for improving the longevity and performance of dental restorative materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel ester-free thiol-ene dental resins.
- To enhance mechanical properties, reduce water absorption and leachables, and minimize polymerization shrinkage stress.
- To evaluate the performance of these resins against conventional dental composites.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized thiol-terminated oligomers and a bulky tetra-allyl monomer.
- Photopolymerized experimental thiol-ene formulations using visible light.
- Compared thermo-mechanical properties, polymerization shrinkage stress, water sorption/solubility, and reactivity with a BisGMA/TEGDMA control.
Main Results:
- Ester-free thiol-ene resins exhibited lower viscosity, water sorption, and solubility than the control.
- Thiol-ene systems achieved lower shrinkage stress, especially with the tetra-allyl monomer.
- While Young's modulus and flexural strength were lower, toughness was superior to the control, with uniform polymer networks formed.
Conclusions:
- Developed thiol-ene resins offer reduced shrinkage stress and moisture absorption for dental composites.
- These materials form tougher polymer networks, improving material longevity.
- Low resin viscosity facilitates higher filler loadings for advanced dental restorative systems.
