3D-Printed Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network with Biocompatible Adhesive to Potentiate Dental Implant Applications

Abstract

The aim of this work was to prepare and characterize polymer–ceramic composite material for dental applications, which must resist fracture and wear under extreme forces. It must also be compatible with the hostile environment of the oral cavity. The most common restorative and biocompatible copolymer, 2,2-bis(p-(2′-2-hydroxy-3′-methacryloxypropoxy)phenyl)propane and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, was combined with 3D-printed yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia scaffolds with a 50% infill. The proper scaffold deposition and morphology of samples with 50% zirconia infill were studied by means of X-ray computed microtomography and scanning electron microscopy. Samples that were infiltrated with copolymer were observed under compression stress, and the structure’s failure was recorded using an Infrared Vic 2DTM camera, in comparison with empty scaffolds. The biocompatibility of the composite material was ascertained with an MG-63 cell viability assay. The microtomography proves the homogeneous distribution of pores throughout the whole sample, whereas the presence of the biocompatible copolymer among the ceramic filaments, referred to as a polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN), results in a safety “damper”, preventing crack propagation and securing the desired material flexibility, as observed by an infrared camera in real time. The study represents a challenge for future dental implant applications, demonstrating that it is possible to combine the fast robocasting of ceramic paste and covalent bonding of polymer adhesive for hybrid material stabilization.

Compressive Behavior of Some Balls Manufactured by 3D Printing from Ceramic–Polymer Composite Materials

“…They concluded that the investigated process allows for the free fabrication of high-performance components made of a ceramic matrix composite. A polymer–ceramic composite material for dental implant applications capable of withstanding high mechanical stress and wear was proposed and researched by Hodásová et al [ 13 ]. They found that the copolymer infiltrated among the ceramic filaments can act as a mechanical stabilizer and adhesion promoter.…”

“…It can be noted that the main research directions in the field of manufacturing parts from ceramic materials with a polymer matrix by 3D printing have focused on aspects related to the physical–mechanical properties of the materials of the parts [ 4 , 5 , 9 , 10 ], improving the manufacturing technologies of such parts [ 6 , 7 , 11 , 12 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], the influence of different factors on the material properties of parts manufactured by 3D printing [ 2 , 8 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], and the identification of new possibilities of using the respective materials [ 3 , 5 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 15 ].…”

Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network Produced by Direct Ink Writing: The Effects of Manufacturing Design on Mechanical Properties

“…The results highlighted that a zirconia-based PICN displayed higher strength than commercial resin composites and PICN. Hodasova et al [10,22] prepared 3D-printable PICNs by combining 3D-printed ZrO 2 with 50% infilled macropores and biocompatible adhesive copolymer for dental implants. These PICNs possessed excellent compression strength with moderate hardness.…”

3D-Printed Polymer-Infiltrated Ceramic Network with Antibacterial Biobased Silver Nanoparticles

“…In our recent works, we have successfully combined a biocompatible adhesive copolymer with 3D-printed yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia scaffolds (3Y-TZP) with 50% infilled macropores 9 to palliate crack propagation in 3D-printed polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) scaffolds under compression forces. 9 , 10 Moreover, the hybrid materials conserve their biocompatibility, promoting the growth and proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast cells on their surface.…”

“…13,14 Improvement of 3D-printing techniques has made the design and production fast and easy, providing products of high-end quality. 15−20 The main advantage is that the design of the pore size and distribution can be controlled with CAD/CAM processes and therefore adjusted according to the necessity of the application, 9,10 which is not possible using traditional sintering methods of compact ceramic structures. 21 The PICN sample itself does not apparently promote the growth of bacteria but does not have antimicrobial properties usually desirable in the biomedical field to prevent biofilm formation.…”