Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Purpose: Dental sealant forms a physical barrier to prevent pit and fissure caries; therefore, the retention rate becomes a main factor of the sealant’s effectiveness. Electrospun nylon-6/N6 nanofibers have shown good mechanical properties, such as high tensile strength and fracture toughness. Chitosan/CH has received significant attention due to properties such as antibacterial activity. The purpose of this study was to synthesize and evaluate the effect of incorporating N6 and CH electrospun nanofibers on the physical-mechanical and antibacterial properties of an experimental resin-based sealant. Methods and Materials: Nanofiber synthesis: N6 pellets were dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol at a concentration of 10wt%. Practical-grade chitosan was dissolved in trifluoroacetic acid and dichloromethane (60:40 TFA/DCM) at 7 wt%. Electrospinning parameters were optimized in order to fabricate defect-free N6 and chitosan nanofiber mats. Morphological and chemical characterizations were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively after vacuum drying the mats for 48 h. The average fiber diameter was determined from SEM images by measuring the diameter of 120 fibers using ImageJ software. Experimental Sealant: N6 and CH electrospun mats (3×3cm2) were immersed into a resin mixture of BIS-GMA/TEGDMA. Once no bubbles were seen, the resin-modified N6 and CH mats were put on a glass plate, light-cured (“TRIAD 2000”) for 2 min and then submitted to a cryomilling process to obtain a fine micron-sized powder. Three different filler levels (1 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 5 wt%) were used to prepare the N6 and CH incorporated resin-based sealants. Additionally, a commercially available resin-based sealant and the experimental resin mixture (unfilled) were used as controls. Three-point flexural testing, Vickers microhardness testing, and agar diffusion testing were performed on the experimental sealants and the commercial sealant. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Fisher's Protected Least Significant Differences Pair-wise comparisons between groups (5%). Results: The average fiber diameter for N6 was found to be 503±304 nm and 595±411 nm for CH. No significant difference was found between fiber diameter (p = 0.0601). FTIR confirmed the characteristic peaks for N6 ((CO-NH and [-(CH2)5-].) and CH (N-H and C2F3O2-). CH-5% group had significantly higher (p = 0.0000) FS (115.3±4.5 MPa) than all other groups. CH-1% and CH-2.5% groups had significantly higher FS than the control (unfilled) (p = 0.0016 and p = 0.0033 respectively); Helioseal Clear (p = 0.0000), and nylon groups. N6-5% had significantly higher flexural strength than Helioseal Clear (p = 0.0013) and N6-2.5% (p = 0.0250). CH-1% had significantly higher hardness values than all other groups, and CH-5% (p = 0.0414) had significantly higher values than N6-2.5%. No antibacterial inhibition was seen in any of the tested groups. Conclusions: CH and N6 nanofibers were successfully prepared via electrospinning and used to modify the experimental resin-based dental sealants. The overall results indicated that CH-containing sealants presented the highest flexural strength and hardness; however, none of the CH groups displayed antimicrobial properties. Further investigation is needed to enhance the physico-mechanical properties of the experimental resin-based sealants using nylon-6 and CH.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Repair is an alternative treatment option in many cases to replacement of resin matrix composite restoration. However, aged resin matrix composites have a limited number of carbon-carbon double bonds to adhere to a new layer of rein. Therefore, surface treatments of the aged resin matrix composite surface prior to repairing could improve the repair bond strength. The objectives of this study were to: 1) To evaluate various surface treatments on shear bond strength of repair between aged and new microhybrid resin matrix composite, and 2) To assess the influence of applying a silane coupling agent after surface treatments. Eighty disk-shaped resin matrix composite specimens were fabricated and thermocycled 5000 times prior to surface treatment. Specimens were randomly assigned to one of the three surface treatments (n = 20): 1) Airborne abrasion with 50 μm aluminum oxide, 2) Tribochemical silica coating (CoJet), or 3) Er,Cr:YSGG laser and control group (n = 20). Specimens were cleaned with 35-percent phosphoric acid, rinsed, and dried. Each group was assigned into two subgroups (n =10): a) no silanization, and b) with silanization. Adhesive agent was applied and new resin matrix composite was bonded to each conditioned surface. Bond strength was evaluated by shear test. Data were analyzed with a two-way ANOVA model. The interaction between conditioning and silanization was significant(p = 0.0163), indicating that comparisons of silanization must be evaluated for each conditioning method, and that comparisons of conditioning methods must be evaluated separately with and without silanization. Airborne particle abrasion showed significantly higher repair bond strength than Er,Cr:YSGG laser without silanization (p < 0.0001) and with silanization(p = 0.0002), and higher repair bond strength than the control without silanization (p < 0.00001) and with silanization (p < 0.00001). Airborne particle abrasion did not have significantly different in repair bond strength than Tribosilica coating without silanization (p = 0.70) or with silanization (p = 0.33). Tribosilica coating had significantly higher repair bond strength than Er,CR:YSGG laser without silanization (p < 0.0001) and with silanization (p < 0.0001), and significantly higher repair bond strength than control without silanization (p < 0.0001), but not with silanization (p =0.16). Er,CR:YSGG laser and control did not have significantly different repair bond strength without silanization (p = 1.00) or with silanization (p = 0.11). There was no effect of silanization on repair bond strength overall (p = 0.34) for any of the surface conditioning methods (p = 0.76 for airborne particle abrasion; p = 0.39 for tribosilica coating; p = 1.00 for Er,Cr:YSGG laser, or p = 0.39 for control). Airborne particle abrasion with 50-μm aluminum oxide particle and tribochemical silica coating followed by the application of bonding agent provided the highest shear bond strength values, suggesting that they might be adequate methods to improve the quality of the repairs of resin-matrix composites.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Reduction of the polymerization shrinkage stress inherent of dimethacrylate-based resin composites has been a work in progress since the phenomenon was first described by Dr. Rafael L. Bowen in 1967. Contemporary efforts to modify the composites or the curing protocols for polymerization have proven a challenging task with controversial results. Influenced by existing mathematical models relating exposure, curing time and depth of cure of resin composites, a novel method for the reduction of polymerization shrinkage stress is proposed. By polymerizing through a single aperture mask, a dental light curing unit is transformed from a planar light source to a point light source, and a fully cured, three-dimensional “bullet” shaped curing front is predicted for the cured resin below. So long as the edges of the bullet do not touch the cavity walls or floor, the shrinkage stress of the bullet is not transferred. Follow-up with an unmasked curing unit then fully polymerizes the restoration. By reducing the volume of uncured composite in contact with the cavity walls and floor, shrinkage stress of the restoration is also reduced. The objective of the present study was to demonstrate this curing phenomenon with a model resin composite using masks with aperture diameters of 0.5, 0.4, and 0.25 mm and curing times of 10, 20, 30, and 40 seconds. The resulting curing front was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. From this, mathematical models of the curing front were derived. Selected combinations of aperture mask and curing time were then investigated to evaluate the influence of this phenomenon on the degree of conversion, Knoop hardness, and polymerization shrinkage stress of the same model resin composite. Group differences were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA at 5% significance.