Development of a new bioactive and radio opaque hydraulic calcium silicate cement for endodontic applications

Abstract

Healthy teeth are essential for human beings for mastication of food, proper speech, newlineand aesthetic appearance. The vital functionality of a tooth can be affected by diseases newlineor defects such as dental caries, pulpitis or fracture through accidents. Depending on the newlineextent of destruction, various treatments are to be carried out to restore the tooth to newlineproper form, function, and aesthetics. An endodontic treatment may involve root canal newlinetherapy, apexification, pulp capping, pulpotomy, or perforation repair. In applications newlinesuch as root-end filling and pulp capping, where material-tissue interactions are critical, newlinethe filling material should be biocompatible with the host tissues, non-toxic, adaptable newlinewith the dentinal walls, and be able to induce the regeneration of the living tissues to newlinerestore the vitality of the tooth. newlineThe present research work highlights the development of a new hydraulic calcium newlinesilicate endodontic cement with a strontium based bioactive radio-opacifier, through a newlinehigh purity synthesis route, completely excluding heavy metals and unacceptable newlineelements such as aluminium and iron. The initial part of the work is focused on the newlinesynthesis and characterisation of components for cement preparation. The major newlinecomponents of the cement tricalcium silicate (C3S), dicalcium silicate (C2S) and newlinestrontium orthosilicate(S2S) were prepared by sol-gel methods. Fine submicron-sized newlinemonetite (DCP) particles were subsequently synthesized by a solvent exchange method. newlineAll the synthesised components were characterised for phase purity, structure, particle newlinesize, morphology, bioactivity and cytocompatibility as per the relevant ISO standards. newline