TCP Doped with Metal Ions Reinforced with Tetragonal and Cubic Zirconia.

Ceramic biocomposites based on bioactive tricalcium phosphate doped with metal ions are a strategy for obtaining good biomimetics for human bone composition. Manufacturing with PMMA porogen also induces bone-like porosity morphology. The poor strength of tricalcium phosphate can be overcomed by designing ceramic composites reinforced with tetragonal and cubic zirconia. In this work, five different bioceramic composites were manufactured without and with induced porosity and their physical, mechanical, microstructural, and biological properties were studied. With the addition of tetragonal and cubic zirconia, an improvement in strength of 22% and 55%, respectively, was obtained, corresponding to up to 20.7 MPa. PMMA was suitable for adding porosity, up to 30%, with interconnectivity while an excellent hOB cellular viability was achieved for all biocomposites.

Evaluation of the micro-mechanical and bioactive properties of bioactive glass-dental porcelain composite.

The aim of this study was to evaluate microhardness and elastic modulus of a novel sol-gel derived dental ceramic - 58S bioactive glass composite (BP67: Bioactive Glass:33.3%, Dental Ceramic:66.7%) BP671 material by micro-indentation and to investigate its microstructure and bioactivity. The research hypotheses were that the values of microhardness (1) and elastic modulus (2) of the novel bioceramic composite and the commercial dental ceramic will be of the same order. The experimental sol-gel derived ceramics showed similar microstructural characteristics to a commercial feldspathic porcelain, and presence of additional calcium phosphate phases, which contributed its bioactivity. The formation of an apatite-like layer on the materials' surface observed by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)2 spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD)3 and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS)4 techniques after 12 days of maintenance in Conventional Simulated Body Fluid (cSBF)5 solution. The BP67 exhibited values of microhardness and modulus of elasticity which were not statistically significant different compared to dental ceramic, indicating the adequate mechanical integrity of the material. The results of this study suggest that the novel bioactive composite could be potentially applied in prosthetic dentistry, while its thermal and optical properties should be investigated in future studies.

Inducing bioactivity of dental ceramic/bioactive glass composites by Nd:YAG laser.

OBJECTIVES: Aims of this study were to investigate the optimal conditions of laser irradiation of a novel Bioactive Glass/Dental Ceramic-BP67 composite for acceleration of hydroxyapatite-HA formation and to assess cellular responses on the precipitated HA region. METHODS: BP67 (Bioactive Glass: 33.3%, Dental Ceramic: 66.7%) was fabricated by the sol-gel method. A laser assisted biomimetic-LAB process was applied to BP67 sintered specimens immersed in 1.5-times concentrated simulated body fluid-1.5×-SBF. The effect of various energy densities of pulsed nanosecond Nd-YAG (1064nm) laser and irradiation exposure times (30min, 1 and 3h) were evaluated for HA precipitation. The HA film was characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM and micro Raman techniques. ICP-AES was used for revealing changes in chemical composition of the 1.5×-SBF during irradiation. Cell viability and morphological characteristics of periodontal ligament fibroblasts-PDLFs, human gingival fibroblasts-HGFs and SAOS-2 osteoblasts on the HA surface were evaluated by MTT assays and SEM. RESULTS: At optimal energy fluence of 1.52J/cm2 and irradiation time for 3h followed by immersion in 1.5×-SBF at 60°C, a dense HA layer was formed on laser-irradiated BP67 within 7 days. The resulting HA film was tightly bonded to the underlying substrate and had mineral composition similar to cementum. MTT assay showed a consistent reduction of cell proliferation on the HA layer in comparison to conventional control ceramic and BP67 for all 3 cell lines studied. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings suggest LAB is an effective method for acceleration of HA formation on materials with low bioactivity, while cellular responses need further investigation.