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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Accessing the Cytotoxicity and Cell Response to Biomaterials
Published on: July 8, 2021
A novel application of nanohydroxyapatite/mesoporous silica biocomposite on treating dentin hypersensitivity: An in
Jian Yu1, Hongye Yang1, Kang Li1
1The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory for Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Objectives:
To fabricate a nanohydroxyapatite/mesoporous silica nanoparticle (nHAp@MSN) biocomposite and investigate its effectiveness on dentinal tubule occlusion, acid-resistant stability, and microtensile bond strength (MTBS).
Methods:
The nHAp@MSN biocomposite was synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Thirty-two simulated sensitive dentin discs were prepared and randomly divided into four groups according to the following treatments (n=8 each): Group 1, no treatment; Group 2, NovaMin, 15 s×2; Group 3, MSN, 15 s×2; Group 4, nHAp@MSN, 15 s×2. Then, four discs per group were post-treated with 6wt.% citric acid challenge to test their acid-resistant stability. The effects on dentinal tubule occlusion were observed by FESEM. A self-etch adhesive (G-Bond) was applied to evaluate the MTBS. The cytotoxicity was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay.
Results:
Results revealed that the nHAp@MSN biocomposite was successfully fabricated. nHAp@MSN could effectively occlude the dentinal tubules, and the intratubular crystals were tightly associated with the tubular wall. After citric acid attack, nHAp@MSN exhibited the highest acid-resistant stability among the four groups. Moreover, no significant difference in MTBS was noted among the four groups (P>0.05). CCK-8 assay identified that nHAp@MSN induced no more than 20% cell death even at the highest concentration of 640μg/mL.
Conclusions:
The application of the nHAp@MSN biocomposite resulted in efficient dentinal tubule occlusion, acid-resistant stability, and did not compromise immediate bond strength between dentin and self-etch adhesive system.
Clinical Significance:
The nHAp@MSN biocomposite indicates enormous potential as a new strategy for relieving dentin hypersensitivity.
