Dental Restorative Viability of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-Reinforced Zirconia and Baghdadite Ceramic Composites

This study explores the enhancement of properties in zirconia-based ceramic dental restorative materials through the incorporation of baghdadite (Ca₃ZrSi₂O₉) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Baghdadite was synthesized via a solid-state sintering method and integrated into zirconia to form baghdadite/zirconia ceramic composites. These composites were sintered with varying concentrations of baghdadite (0%, 5%, and 10%) to enhance bioactivity and support bone tissue repair, and incorporated with 0.6% ZnO nanoparticles to improve antimicrobial properties. The crystallographic structure, surface morphology, apparent density, antibacterial properties, and cell viability were characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Archimedes principle, agar plate method, and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. Protein adsorption was evaluated using bovine serum albumin (BSA). Results showed that higher concentrations of baghdadite increased protein adhesion on the surface. The agar plate method revealed that ZnO nanoparticle-reinforced zirconia/baghdadite composites exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In addition, the composites demonstrated a significant high cell viability of 83.71%, promoting cell growth. These findings suggest that the incorporation of baghdadite and ZnO nanoparticles enhances the bioactivity, antimicrobial effectiveness, and biocompatibility of zirconia, making it a viable candidate for dental restorative applications.