Experimental borosilicate bioactive glasses: Pulp cells cytocompatibility and mechanical characterization.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Materials
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Glass ionomer cements (GICs) are widely used in dentistry.
• Developing novel bioactive glasses can improve GIC properties.
• Borosilicate glasses offer potential for enhanced biocompatibility and bioactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro effects of two novel phase-separated borosilicate glasses (PSBS) on dental pulp cells.
• To compare the bioactivity and mechanical properties of PSBS glasses with a conventional GIC (FUJI IX).

Main Methods:

• Cytocompatibility assessed using Alamar blue assay and confocal imaging on human pulp cells.
• Bioactivity evaluated via SEM-EDX analysis after immersion in Simulated Body Fluid.
• Mechanical properties (Vickers microhardness, flexural strength) tested in GIC formulations.

Main Results:

• Both PSBS glasses enhanced cell viability compared to conventional GIC.
• PSBS8 (without alumina) showed higher cell viability (152%) than PSBS16 (145%) and FUJI IX (117%).
• PSBS8-based GIC exhibited significantly higher Vickers hardness and comparable flexural strength to controls.

Conclusions:

• The borosilicate bioactive glass without alumina (PSBS8) significantly improved pulp cell viability and bioactivity.
• PSBS8 demonstrated superior performance over the alumina-containing PSBS16 and conventional GIC.
• These findings suggest PSBS8 as a promising material for advanced dental restorative applications.