Nanoscale Chemical Surface Analyses of Recycled Powder for Direct Metal Powder Bed Fusion Ti-6Al-4V Root Analog Dental Implant: An X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study.

Over the past couple of decades, additive manufacturing and the use of root-analogue-printed titanium dental implants have been developed. Not all powder particles are sintered into the final product during the additive manufacturing process. Reuse of the remaining powder could reduce the overall implant manufacturing cost. However, Ti-6Al-4V powder particles are affected by heat, mechanical factors, and oxidization during the powder bed fusion manufacturing process. Degradation of the powder may harm the final surface composition and decrease the biocompatibility and survival of the implant. The uncertainty of the recycled powder properties prevents implant fabrication facilities from reusing the powder. This study investigates the chemical composition of controlled, clean, and recycled titanium alloy powder and root-analogue implants (RAI) manufactured from these powders at three different depths. The change in titanium's quantity, oxidization state, and chemical composition in powder and RAI implants have been demonstrated and analyzed. While not identical, the surface chemical composition of the recycled powder implant and the implant manufactured from unused powder are similar. The results also indicate the presence of TiO2 on all surfaces. Many studies confirmed that titanium dioxide on the implant's surface correlates with better osteointegration, reduced bacterial infection, and increased corrosion resistance. Considering economic and environmental aspects, surface chemical composition comparison of clean and reused powder is crucial for the future manufacturing of cost-effective and biocompatible implants.

Effect of anaerobic cure of self-etch adhesive on degree of conversion and shear bond strength.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim was to evaluate the effect of postponing the curing of the adhesive layer until the first layer of composite resin is applied-hereby oxygen-inhibited layer (OIL) formation and its detrimental effect on the degree of conversion (DC) of self-etch adhesives should be prevented. For this purpose, the degree of conversion and shear bond strength of four current market self-etch adhesives were evaluated, assessing the effect of curing the adhesives anaerobically and then under two different thicknesses of composite resin, and compare this to the samples cured alone and in air. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The degrees of conversion were obtained by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, after the samples were prepared on a glass slide. The samples were either light-cured in air or anaerobically under a clear matrix strip alone, under 2 mm of cured composite resin or under 4 mm of cured composite resin. To determine the shear bond strength (SBS), extracted molars were halved and set in acrylic. Prefabricated cured cylinders of composite resin (TPH 3, 2.4 mm in diameter) of two different lengths are placed over the adhesives under the following conditions: light-cured conventionally (2-mm-long cylinder) and light-cured anaerobically under the uncured end of the piece of composite resin (using both 2- and 4-mm-long cylinders as separate treatments). After another incubation for 24 h at 37 °C, the samples were subjected to shearing using the Bisco Shear Bond Strength Tester. RESULTS: The degree of conversion of the one-step self-etch adhesives was not statistically different when cured anaerobically under a clear matrix strip or cured anaerobically under 2 mm of composite resin. These results were greater than those cured under 4 mm. Shear bond strength between samples cured in air and anaerobically were similar under 2 mm of composite resin tubes, while those cured anaerobically under 4 mm of resin showed lower shear bond strength. CONCLUSION: When cured anaerobically, one-step self-etch adhesives show a greater degree of conversion and no significant difference in degree of conversion and shear bond strength when compared to those cured in air under the same thickness of composite resin. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results obtained from DC and SBS analysis show promise in placing the uncured adhesive under the composite resin and curing both the adhesive and restoration material simultaneously.

Use of polyphenols as a strategy to prevent bond degradation in the dentin-resin interface.

This study evaluated the effect of dentin pretreatment with the polyphenols quercetin and resveratrol on the resin-dentin microtensile bonding strength (µTBS) and collagen fibrils stability of the adhesive interface. Different concentrations (100, 250, 500, or 1,000 µg ml-1 ) of quercetin or resveratrol, or a mixture of quercetin and resveratrol (3:1, 1:1, 1:3; vol:vol), as well as distilled water or 2% chlorhexidine digluconate, were applied to etched dentin. Then, a two-step etch-and-rinse adhesive was applied followed by composite restoration. Measurements of resin-dentin µTBS were made after 1 and 120 d. The stability of collagen fibrils in the hybrid layer was evaluated using transmission electron microscopy. The Student's t-test and two-way factorial anova with Tukey's test were used to analyze the effects of dentin pretreatment and storage time on µTBS values. Comparisons between µTBS measurements made on 1 and 120 d showed that resveratrol had the best performance, with significantly higher µTBS values after 120 d for all concentrations of resveratrol tested. Quercetin pretreatment resulted in a significant rise of µTBS when used at concentrations of 100 and 500 µg ml-1 . Quercetin + resveratrol at the ratio of 1:1 performed better than when used at ratios of either 3:1 or 1:3. Resveratrol might represent a potential approach to achieve desirable bonding stability and reduce the frequent replacement of composite restorations.

Degree of Conversion and Oxygen-Inhibited Layer Effect of Three Dental Adhesives.

This study investigated the effect of the oxygen-inhibited layer on the degree of conversion (DC) of three dental adhesives, comparing two different protocols. Quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) light curing and light-emitting diode (LED) were used to cure three adhesives: OptiBond All in One (OAIO), Adper Easy Bond (AEB) and ExciteF (EXF). The DC was calculated utilizing Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (n = 12). The two protocols used were as follows: (i) prevent the oxygen-inhibited layer using a Mylar plastic strip pushed onto each bonding adhesive; and (ii) polymerize samples without a plastic strip. The data was analyzed statistically by a three-way ANOVA, and Tukey Test (a = 0.05). The presence of an oxygen-inhibited layer reduced the DC of the adhesives by 64% for EXF, 46% for AEB and 32% for OAIO. This study suggests that there are differences among the oxygen-inhibited layers present for the adhesives tested.