Abstract
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) can facilitate bone formation; hence, it is used as a biomaterial in orthopedics. Nevertheless, its usability for dentistry is unexplored. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Si3N4 granules for the proliferation and odontogenic differentiation of rat dental pulp cells (rDPCs). Four different types of Si3N4 granules were prepared, which underwent different treatments to form pristine as-synthesized Si3N4, chemically treated Si3N4, thermally treated Si3N4, and Si3N4 sintered with 3 wt.% yttrium oxide (Y2O3). rDPCs were cultured on or around the Si3N4 granular beds. Compared with the other three types of Si3N4 granules, the sintered Si3N4 granules significantly promoted cellular attachment, upregulated the expression of odontogenic marker genes (Dentin Matrix Acidic Phosphoprotein 1 and Dentin Sialophosphoprotein) in the early phase, and enhanced the formation of mineralization nodules. Furthermore, the water contact angle of sintered Si3N4 was also greatly increased to 40°. These results suggest that the sintering process for Si3N4 with Y2O3 positively altered the surface properties of pristine as-synthesized Si3N4 granules, thereby facilitating the odontogenic differentiation of rDPCs. Thus, the introduction of a sintering treatment for Si3N4 granules is likely to facilitate their use in the clinical application of dentistry.
Highlights
Dental caries are the most prevalent form of chronic disease in both adults and children worldwide [1,2,3]
Calcium hydroxide does not adhere to dentin and dissolves over time [12], causing the formation of tunnel defects in dentin bridges [17] and leading to the inflammation and necrosis of the pulp tissue [18,19]
We found that sintered granules with the addition of Y2 O3 possessed altered hydrophilicity compared to pristine as-synthesized Si3 N4 granules
Summary
Dental caries are the most prevalent form of chronic disease in both adults and children worldwide [1,2,3]. Promoting the formation of restorative dentin in decayed areas is considered a common clinical treatment method [4]. Pulp tissue contributes to the production of dental hard tissue, including restorative dentin in response to physiological and pathologic stimuli [5,6]. The vitality of pulp tissue and formation of dentin bridges determine the success of pulp capping treatment [12,13]. Calcium hydroxide is well accepted clinically, owing to its ability to promote the formation of dentin bridges and calcific barriers [14,15,16]. Calcium hydroxide does not adhere to dentin and dissolves over time [12], causing the formation of tunnel defects in dentin bridges [17] and leading to the inflammation and necrosis of the pulp tissue [18,19]. The development of new pulp-capping agents is essential
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