Biomimetic mineralization effect of a self-etch adhesive loaded with amorphous fluorinated calcium phosphate nanoparticles

Abstract

Objectives: The study investigated the biomimetic mineralization effect of a self-etch adhesive loaded with amorphous fluorinated calcium phosphate (AFCP) nanoparticles.

Methods: In this study, fluoride was applied to synthesize AFCP nanoparticles, which were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscope, selected area electron diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Subsequently, the self-etch adhesive (Clearfil S3 Bond) was mixed throughly with 20 wt% of AFCP. The single-layer reconstituted collagen fibrils and demineralized dentin were used to investigate the mineralization effects of AFCP nanoparticles as well as Clearfil S3 Bond loaded with AFCP. Moreover, the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was conducted to evaluate the cytotoxicity of AFCP-loaded adhesive.

Results: The AFCP nanoparticles were successfully synthesized and characterized as an amorphous phase, which demonstrated better effectiveness in collagen fibril mineralization compared to amorphous calcium phosphate nanoparticles. Both AFCP nanoparticles and adhesive loaded with AFCP induced intrafibrillar mineralization of single-layer collagen fibrils. The incorporation of AFCP nanoparticles into adhesive led to the formation of remineralized crystals within the demineralized dentin. Moreover, cytotoxicity tests confirmed the biocompatibility of the AFCP-loaded adhesive.

Conclusions: The incorporation of AFCP nanoparticles into the self-etch adhesive facilitated collagen fibril mineralization and remineralization of demineralized dentin.

Clinical significance: Incorporating fluoride, a commonly used anti-caries element, into the self-etch adhesive in the form of AFCP nanoparticles enables its biomimetic mineralization in restorative treatments, presenting a potential approach for developing a novel adhesive system to prevent dental caries clinically.

Keywords: Amorphous fluorinated calcium phosphate; Biomimetic mineralization; Collagen fibrils; Demineralized dentin; Self-etch adhesive.