Development of novel self-adhesive resin cement with antibacterial and self-healing properties

Abstract

This study aimed to develop novel self-adhesive resin cement with antibacterial and self-healing properties. Furthermore, the dentin bonding strength, mechanical properties, self-healing efficiency, and antibacterial property of the developed cement were measured. Novel nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers that contain quaternary ammonium salts with long-chain alkyls were synthesized. These fillers were added into self-adhesive resin cement containing self-healing microcapsules at mass fractions of 0, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, or 10.0%. The dentin shear bonding test was used to test the bonding strength, whereas the flexural test was used to measure the flexural strength and elastic modulus of the cement. The single-edge V-notched beam method was used to measure self-healing efficiency, and human dental plaque microcosm biofilms were chosen to calculate the antibacterial property. The dentin shear bond strength significantly decreased when the mass fraction of the nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers in the novel cement reached 7.5% (P<0.05). The incorporation of 0, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, or 10.0% mass fraction of nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers did not adversely affect the flexural strength, elastic modulus, fracture toughness, and self-healing efficiency of the cement (P>0.1). Resin cement containing 2.5% mass fraction or more nano-antibacterial inorganic fillers significantly inhibited the metabolic activity of dental plaque microcosm biofilms, indicating strong antibacterial potency (P<0.05). The novel self-adhesive resin cement exhibited promising antibacterial and self-healing properties, which enable the cement to be used for dental applications.