High-Performance Bioinspired Microspheres for Boosting Dental Adhesion.

Dental adhesives are widely used in daily practice for minimally invasive restorative dentistry but suffer from bond degradation and biofilm attack. Bio-inspired by marine mussels having excellent surface-adhesion capability and high chemical affinity of polydopamine (PDA) to metal ions, herein, experimental zinc (Zn)-containing polydopamine-based adhesive formulation, further being referred to as "Zn-PDA@SiO2"-incorporated adhesive is proposed as a novel dental adhesive. Different Zn contents (5 and 10 mm) of Zn-PDA@SiO2 are prepared. Considering the synergistic effect of Zn and PDA, Zn-PDA@SiO2 not only presents excellent antibacterial potential and notably inhibits enzymatic activity (soluble and matrix-bound proteases), but also exhibits superior biocompatibility and biosafety in vitro/vivo. The long-term bond stability is substantially improved by adding 5 wt% 5 mm Zn-PDA@SiO2 to the primer. The aged bond strength of the experimentally formulated dental adhesives applied in self-etch (SE) bonding mode is 1.9 times higher than that of the SE gold-standard adhesive. Molecular dynamics calculations indicate the stable formation of covalent bonds, Zn-assisted coordinative bonds, and hydrogen bonds between PDA and collagen. Overall, this bioinspired dental adhesive provides an avenue technology for innovative biomedical applications and has already revealed promising perspectives for dental restorative dentistry.

Computer-assisted navigation for removal of the foreign body in the lower jaw with a mandible reference frame: A case report.

RATIONALE: In surgery of the lower jaw, the application of computer-assisted navigation is complicated and challenging due to the mobile nature of the mandible. In this study, we presented a computer-assisted navigation surgery for removal of the foreign body in the lower jaw with a mandible reference frame, basing on the strategy that the mandible is independent as an entity. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 41-year-old male patient, identified as having a broken fissure bur that displaced into the mandibular lingual soft tissue, was referred to our department. The fissure bur broke accidentally and then displaced into the soft tissue when the patient underwent extraction of the left mandibular impacted third molar. DIAGNOSIS: A metallic foreign body in the left lower jaw, confirmed by orthopantomography. INTERVENTIONS: A computer-assisted navigation surgery with a customized mandible reference frame. OUTCOMES: The broken bur was removed successfully. Satisfactory wound healing and mouth opening was achieved, without postoperative complications. LESSONS: Surgeons should be alert to the presence of broken bur in the lower jaw and avoid its displacement into deep facial space, and computer-assisted navigation with a mandible reference frame is recommended for removal of the foreign body in the lower jaw.