Abstract
Prevention of dental caries is a key research area, and improvement of the pit and fissure sealants used for caries prevention has been of particular interest. This report describes results of incorporating a zwitterion, sulfobetaine methacrylate (SB), into photo-polymerized resin-based sealants to enhance resistance to cariogenic bacteria and protein adhesion. Varying amounts (1.5–5 wt%) of SB were incorporated into a resin-based sealant, and the flexural strength, wettability, depth of cure, protein adhesion, bacterial viability, and cell cytotoxicity of the resultant sealants were evaluated. The flexural strength decreased with the increasing SB content, but this decrease was statistically significant only for sealants containing ≥3 wt% SB. Incorporating a zwitterion led to a significant reduction in the water contact angle and protein adhesion. The colony-forming unit count showed a significant reduction in the bacterial viability of S. mutans, which was confirmed with microscopic imaging. Moreover, cell cytotoxicity analysis of SB-modified sealants using an L929 fibroblast showed a cytotoxicity comparable to that of an unmodified control, suggesting no adverse effects on the cellular metabolism upon SB introduction. Hence, we conclude that the addition of 1.5–3 wt% SB can significantly enhance the inherent ability of sealants to resist S. mutans adhesion and prevent dental caries.
Highlights
Dental caries is a chronic oral ailment that has caused a worldwide oral health burden [1]
The results indicate that the null hypotheses can be rejected due to the observation of significant differences in the mechanical properties and bacterial resistance between the control and the sulfobetaine methacrylate (SB)-containing samples
Reports have stated that the mode of action surface coatings for biomedical devices and implants [18]
Summary
Dental caries is a chronic oral ailment that has caused a worldwide oral health burden [1]. It is caused by an interplay of specific acidogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans, which are present in dental plaque surrounding external tooth surfaces. The interaction of such microbes with the tooth structure in the presence of carbohydrates leads to the initiation of irreversible damage in the form of dental caries [2]. Dental caries impacts people of all ages, and it demands effective preventive measures. Given the multifactorial nature of dental caries, tooth morphology with deep pits and fissures is a risk factor because it presents potential sites for caries formation.
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