UV-curable TiO2-polyacrylate composites for a dental implant simulation platform

Abstract

This study develops a dental implant surgery composite material that allows learners to experience the drilling forces necessary to perform drilling into alveolar bone. Organic-inorganic TiO2-acrylate hybrid reactive precursors were first prepared in hydroethylacrylate (HEA) solvent using glycidylmethacrylate cordination-binding sol-gel polymerization of titanium tetrachloride in a simple one-pot hydrolysis process. HEA, used in place of alcohol, served as both of a solvent and a reactive monomer in later photopolymerization. The use of HEA eliminates the need to remove the diluent solvent. An average TiO2 nanoparticle size of about 20−30 nm was measured using dynamic light scattering equipment. The obtained TiO2-acrylate hybrid reactive precursors were mixed with bisphenol-A ethoxylate dimethacrylate and photoinitiators to prepare TiO2-polyacrylate composite films after ultraviolet-light illumination. Experimental results demonstrate that the contact angle of the composite films decreased with increasing TiO2-acrylate hybrid precursor content, whereas the glass transition temperature and hardness of the composite films increased. By varying TiO2- polyacrylate hybrid composition, a alveolar bone model was fabricated. The forces (> 7 N) necessary to drill cortical and cancellous bone were measured.