A moldable weak-acid-responsive I₂/TCP/PBST composite hydrogel for use in inflammatory extraction socket preservation...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Dental Implantology

Background:

• Periodontitis and apical periodontitis often lead to severe infections and alveolar bone defects after tooth extraction.
• These conditions compromise the success of socket preservation and dental implant restoration.
• Current materials lack the ability to simultaneously address infection, adapt to defects, and promote bone regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a moldable, pH-responsive composite hydrogel for simultaneous infection control, defect adaptation, and bone regeneration in infected extraction sockets.
• To evaluate the properties and in vivo efficacy of the developed hydrogel material.

Main Methods:

• Development of a composite hydrogel based on a PBST scaffold, incorporating iodine nanosheets (I₂-NS) for antibacterial properties and submicron porous tricalcium phosphate (TCPS) for osteogenesis.
• Assessment of the hydrogel's biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical properties, tissue adhesiveness, and in situ moldability.
• In vivo evaluation of the hydrogel's performance in suppressing inflammation and promoting new bone formation in infected conditions.

Main Results:

• The I₂/TCP/PBST hydrogel demonstrated favorable biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical properties, and tissue adhesion.
• The material exhibited excellent in situ moldability, adapting to various extraction socket geometries.
• In vivo studies showed effective suppression of local inflammation and significant promotion of new bone formation under infected conditions.

Conclusions:

• The I₂/TCP/PBST hydrogel is a promising biomaterial platform for managing complex infected extraction sockets.
• This composite material offers simultaneous infection control, defect adaptation, and bone regeneration capabilities.
• The findings support the potential of this hydrogel for improving outcomes in socket preservation and subsequent implant restoration.