A Review on Current Trends of Polymers in Orthodontics: BPA-Free and Smart Materials.

Rozita Hassan,Abdul Manaf Abdullah,Muhammad Umar Aslam Khan,Saiful Izwan Abd Razak

doi:10.3390/polym13091409

Abstract

Polymeric materials have always established an edge over other classes of materials due to their potential applications in various fields of biomedical engineering. Orthodontics is an emerging field in which polymers have attracted the enormous attention of researchers. In particular, thermoplastic materials have a great future utility in orthodontics, both as aligners and as retainer appliances. In recent years, the use of polycarbonate brackets and base monomers bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) has been associated with the potential release of bisphenol A (BPA) in the oral environment. BPA is a toxic compound that acts as an endocrine disruptor that can affect human health. Therefore, there is a continuous search for non-BPA materials with satisfactory mechanical properties and an esthetic appearance as an alternative to polycarbonate brackets and conventional bis-GMA compounds. This study aims to review the recent developments of BPA-free monomers in the application of resin dental composites and adhesives. The most promising polymeric smart materials are also discussed for their relevance to future orthodontic applications.

Highlights

Polymer science has emerged as the most popular area of research due to its wide scope in modern materials engineering for improving structural and functional properties in clinical and biomedical applications
According to the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO), approximately 50% of the population has malocclusions serious enough to benefit from orthodontic treatment
The results showed that the degree of conversion for all composites prepared with U-(bis-GMA)-Mod and U-(GDMA)Mod was lower than for those prepared with bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) for diluent monomers triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and bisphenol A-glycidyl ethylacrylate by 6–9% on average, most probably due to the weaker hydrogen bond formation between N and H atoms in the urethane group, which presents a lower energy [43,44,45,46]

Summary

A Review on Current Trends of Polymers in Orthodontics

Rozita Hassan 1,* , Muhammad Umar Aslam Khan 2,3,4,* , Abdul Manaf Abdullah 1 and Saiful Izwan Abd Razak 2,5. Academic Editors: Donatella Duraccio, Maria Giulia Faga and Giovanna Gomez D’Ayala

Introduction

Novel BPA-Free Composite Adhesives

Biomimetic Adhesives

Findings

Conclusions