Metal Oxide Nanoparticles and Nanotubes: Ultrasmall Nanostructures to Engineer Antibacterial and Improved Dental Adhesives and Composites

Abstract

Advances in nanotechnology have unlocked exclusive and relevant capabilities that are being applied to develop new dental restorative materials. Metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes perform functions relevant to a range of dental purposes beyond the traditional role of filler reinforcement—they can release ions from their inorganic compounds damaging oral pathogens, deliver calcium phosphate compounds, provide contrast during imaging, protect dental tissues during a bacterial acid attack, and improve the mineral content of the bonding interface. These capabilities make metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes useful for dental adhesives and composites, as these materials are the most used restorative materials in daily dental practice for tooth restorations. Secondary caries and material fractures have been recognized as the most common routes for the failure of composite restorations and bonding interface in the clinical setting. This review covers the significant capabilities of metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes incorporated into dental adhesives and composites, focusing on the novel benefits of antibacterial properties and how they relate to their translational applications in restorative dentistry. We pay close attention to how the development of contemporary antibacterial dental materials requires extensive interdisciplinary collaboration to accomplish particular and complex biological tasks to tackle secondary caries. We complement our discussion of dental adhesives and composites containing metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes with considerations needed for clinical application. We anticipate that readers will gain a complete picture of the expansive possibilities of using metal oxide nanoparticles and nanotubes to develop new dental materials and inspire further interdisciplinary development in this area.

Adhesive Bond Integrity of Experimental Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Incorporated Dentin Adhesive: An SEM, EDX, μTBS, and Rheometric Analysis

“…Nanofiller addition in the adhesive composition is an exciting prospect as it can enhance its bond strength and resin tag forming capability and reduces polymerization shrinkage [ 5 ]. The nanosize of these filler particles potentially helps them to enjoy superior chemical reactivity (due to a large surface area to mass ratio) and thus possibly entail strong mechanical and antibacterial properties [ 10 , 11 ]. However, these improvements in mechanical and antibacterial properties are also dependent on the type of nanofiller being used in the adhesive.…”

Influence of Concentration Levels of β-Tricalcium Phosphate on the Physical Properties of a Dental Adhesive

“…The literature shows that the addition of inorganic nanofillers in the adhesive improves its various mechanical properties [ 5 ], subsequently enhancing the longevity of the resin composite restorations [ 8 ]. The size of these nanofillers typically ranges between 1 and 100 nm, and they possess encouraging antibacterial properties (owing to their great chemical reactivity) [ 9 , 10 ]. As these fillers are nano-sized, they possess a larger surface area to the mass ratio, which helps them to work with negatively charged bacterial surfaces, improving the antibacterial potential of the material [ 11 , 12 , 13 ].…”

Novel Dental Restorative Solutions for Natural Teeth and Implants

“…It is, therefore, essential to have a broad knowledge of the applicable therapies, especially in the recent pandemic period, during which educational activities suffered a marked reduction [ 7 ]. This collection of articles [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], published in Bioengineering, includes novel restorative solutions for natural teeth and implants. They represent a journey through the different treatment options, relating to different clinical situations.…”

“…They represent a journey through the different treatment options, relating to different clinical situations. In the first part, conservative treatments, performed with materials that deal with challenging cariogenic biofilm and acidic environments, will be used [ 8 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. In the second part, implant-related solutions will be described [ 14 , 15 ], including a calculation of stress concentration area on mandibular structure [ 9 ], novel prosthetic solutions for the appropriate veneering protocol for posterior implant-supported hybrid-abutment restorations [ 15 ], or a 3D-printed approach to creating an anatomical cell-seeded scaffold [ 13 ].…”

“…The use of nanoparticles and nanotubes to provide antibacterial properties using metal oxides is gaining popularity [ 12 ].…”