Sol–Gel Technologies to Obtain Advanced Bioceramics for Dental Therapeutics

Abstract

The aim of this work is to review the application of bioceramic materials in the context of current regenerative dentistry therapies, focusing on the latest advances in the synthesis of advanced materials using the sol–gel methodology. Chemical synthesis, processing and therapeutic possibilities are discussed in a structured way, according to the three main types of ceramic materials used in regenerative dentistry: bioactive glasses and glass ceramics, calcium phosphates and calcium silicates. The morphology and chemical composition of these bioceramics play a crucial role in their biological properties and effectiveness in dental therapeutics. The goal is to understand their chemical, surface, mechanical and biological properties better and develop strategies to control their pore structure, shape, size and compositions. Over the past decades, bioceramic materials have provided excellent results in a wide variety of clinical applications related to hard tissue repair and regeneration. Characteristics, such as their similarity to the chemical composition of the mineral phase of bones and teeth, as well as the possibilities offered by the advances in nanotechnology, are driving the development of new biomimetic materials that are required in regenerative dentistry. The sol–gel technique is a method for producing synthetic bioceramics with high purity and homogeneity at the molecular scale and to control the surfaces, interfaces and porosity at the nanometric scale. The intrinsic nanoporosity of materials produced by the sol–gel technique correlates with the high specific surface area, reactivity and bioactivity of advanced bioceramics.

New Nano-Crystalline Hydroxyapatite-Polycarboxy/Sulfo Betaine Hybrid Materials: Synthesis and Characterization

“…Their combination with different organic agents such as casein phosphopeptide [ 7 ], chitosan and its derivatives [ 8 ], polyelectrolytes [ 9 , 10 ], sodium lauryl sulfate [ 12 ], etc., prevents spontaneous crystallization and the formation of differently oriented disordered crystals. Silica-based bioactive glasses are another class of materials that have shown properties to stimulate HA deposition and the enamel remineralization process [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Their action is associated with an ion exchange between Na + ions from the glasses and H + ions from the saliva, which increases the pH of the medium and helps to form a silica-rich layer on which apatite crystals are deposited.…”