R. van Noort

Shear vs. Tensile Bond Strength of Resin Composite Bonded to Ceramic

Since the mode of failure of resin composites bonded to ceramics has frequently been reported to be cohesive fracture of either ceramic or resin composite rather than separation at the adhesive interface, this study was designed to question the validity of shear bond strength tests. The reasons for such a failure mode are identified and an alternative tensile bond strength test evaluated. Three configurations (A, conventional; B, reversed; and C, all composite) of the cylinder-on-disc design were produced for shear bond strength testing. Two-dimensional finite element stress analysis (FEA) was carried out to determine qualitatively the stress distribution for the three configurations. A tensile bond strength test was designed and used to evaluate two ceramic repair systems, one using hydrofluoric acid (HF) and the other acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF). Results from the shear bond strength tests and FEA showed that this particular test has as its inherent feature the measurement of the strength of the ...Since the mode of failure of resin composites bonded to ceramics has frequently been reported to be cohesive fracture of either ceramic or resin composite rather than separation at the adhesive interface, this study was designed to question the validity of shear bond strength tests. The reasons for such a failure mode are identified and an alternative tensile bond strength test evaluated. Three configurations (A, conventional; B, reversed; and C, all composite) of the cylinder-on-disc design were produced for shear bond strength testing. Two-dimensional finite element stress analysis (FEA) was carried out to determine qualitatively the stress distribution for the three configurations. A tensile bond strength test was designed and used to evaluate two ceramic repair systems, one using hydrofluoric acid (HF) and the other acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF). Results from the shear bond strength tests and FEA showed that this particular test has as its inherent feature the measurement of the strength of the base material rather than the strength of the adhesive interface. In the tensile test, failure invariably occurred in the adhesive layer, with HF and APF showing a similar ability to improve the bond of resin composite to ceramic. It is concluded that the tensile bond strength test is more appropriate for evaluating the adhesive capabilities of resin composites to ceramics.

Titanium: The implant material of today

The use of metals for the replacement of structural components of the human body has been with us for some considerable time. The metals originally used were stainless steels which have gradually been replaced by cobalt-chromium alloys. Although titanium has been used since the late forties, it is only relatively recently that it has gained widespread interest. Titanium and its alloys are being used more and more in preference to the cobalt-chromium alloys and has broadened the field of applications. The features which make titanium such an interesting material are its excellent corrosion resistance in the biological environment, combined with an exception degree of biocompatibility which it shares with only a handful of other materials. In this review the background to the clinical use of titanium is discussed with particular attention to the biological aspects of the material. While there are now many clinical uses for titanium and its alloys their main areas of application are in the field of dentistry and orthopaedics and these are described in some detail.

The Effect of Local Interfacial Geometry on the Measurement of the Tensile Bond Strength to Dentin

The local detail of the geometry of the adhesive interface can have a significant effect on the measurement of dentin bond strengths and may be a contributory factor in the discrepancies among data in the published literature. The potential effect on the dentin bond strength due to modifications of the local stress distribution at the adhesive/dentin interface has been assessed. Tensile bond strength measurements for specimens with and without an adhesive flash were carried out and compared with the stress distribution at the adhesive interface determined by finite element stress analysis. The results showed that when the adhesive was constrained to the interface only, the tensile bond strength was 3.10 MPa, which increased to 6.90 MPa when a flash of adhesive was present. For a realistic measurement of dentin bond strength, the adhesive should be constrained to the interface only. Extension of the adhesive beyond the interface will result in an artificially high value for the dentin bond strength. A standardized method for the measurement of dentin bond strength is urgently needed, but must take these as well as all other known factors into account if results from different testing centers are to be directly comparable.

Tissue-engineered Oral Mucosa: a Review of the Scientific Literature

Tissue-engineered oral mucosal equivalents have been developed for clinical applications and also for in vitro studies of biocompatibility, mucosal irritation, disease, and other basic oral biology phenomena. This paper reviews different tissue-engineering strategies used for the production of human oral mucosal equivalents, their relative advantages and drawbacks, and their applications. Techniques used for skin tissue engineering that may possibly be used for in vitro reconstruction of human oral mucosa are also discussed.

The Effects of Enamel Anisotropy on the Distribution of Stress in a Tooth

Enamel is thought to have highly anisotropic stiffness characteristics, because of its prismatic structure. It is probable that the enamel is stiffer in the prism direction compared with a direction perpendicular to it. The prisms are thought to run approximately perpendicular to the enamel-dentin junction. The curvilinear anisotropy that will result can readily be modeled by TOMECH, a finite element program developed at the University of Sheffield, since curvilinearity of mechanical properties is available as an automated feature of this program. The patterns of stress due to an external load were investigated in two-dimensional abstract models, and in a model of a mandibular second premolar, for both anisotropic and isotropic enamel. Results were compared with the commercial code ANSYS and good agreement obtained. Enamel with anisotropic properties was found to have a profoundly different stress distribution under load when compared with models with isotropic enamel. For isotropic enamel, the load path is directed through the stiff enamel shell, while for anisotropic enamel, the load path is directed into the dentin, as the load path follows the stiff direction ofthe enamel prisms. Thus, if enamel is indeed anisotropic, its function differs greatly from that suggested in previous hypotheses. Enamel with anisotropic material characteristics would provide a hard-wearing protective surface-coating while simultaneously diverting the load away from this brittle, low-tensile-strength phase, thus reducing the potential for tooth fracture.

Characterization of sol-gel surfaces for biomedical applications

The aim of the present study was to characterize sol-gel derived titania coatings prepared by dipping. The surface characterization was carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF SIMS), combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis. Sol-gel derived titania surfaces mimicked the surface chemistry of the natural oxide layer found on commercial titanium implants. These surfaces could be used to develop an in vitro model of the osseointegration process. Similar analytical techniques were applied to apatite-like coatings and preliminary results suggest that hydroxyapatite coatings can be produced from a sol-gel route.

Synthetic implant surfaces. 1. The formation and characterization of sol-gel titania films.

Sol-gel has been used to prepare thin titania films. We have investigated the effects of dip rate, sintering temperature and time on the chemical composition of the films, their physical structure and thickness, and adherence to a silica substrate. Our aim has been to produce films that mimic as closely as possible the natural oxide layer that is found on titanium. These films are to be used as substrates in an in vitro model of osseointegration.

Fabrication, characterization and fracture study of a machinable hydroxyapatite ceramic

In this study the preparation of a machinable hydroxyapatite from mixtures of a fine, submicrometer powder and either a coarse powder composed of porous aggregates up to 50 microns or a medium powder composed of dense particles of 3 microns median size is described. These were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy. Test-pieces were formed by powder pressing and slip casting mixtures of various combinations of the fine, medium and coarse powders. The fired test-pieces were subjected to measurements of firing shrinkage, porosity, bulk density, tensile strength and fracture toughness. The microstructure and composition were examined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. For both processing methods, a uniform interconnected microporous structure was produced of a high-purity hydroxyapatite. The maximum tensile strength and fracture toughness that could be attained while retaining machinability were 37 MPa and 0.8 MPa m1/2 respectively.

Sol-Gel Derived Calcium Phosphate Coatings for Biomedical Applications

Hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings have received considerable attention because they exhibit bone bonding capabilities. Unfortunately the common forms of coating production result in cracking and degradation of HA due to the thickness of the coatings and the elevated temperatures employed. This study demonstrates the production of sub-micron, crack-free calcium phosphate coatings on quartz glass substrates using a sol-gel dip-coating technique and firing temperatures below 1000°C.Coatings fired at 1000°C comprised a mixture of hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP). XPS analysis of the coating surface showed that the Ca/P ratio lay in the range 1.5–1.67, and that there was a contribution from carbon in the form of carbonate.It is proposed that the sol-gel coatings comprising a resorbable (TCP) and an insoluble (HA) phase have potential benefits in certain implant applications.

Dental materials: 1997 literature review

This review of the published literature on dental materials for the year 1997 has been compiled by the Dental Materials Panel of UK. It continues a series of annual reviews started in 1973. Emphasis has been placed upon publications, which report upon the materials science or clinical performance of the materials. The review has been divided by accepted materials classifications (fissure sealants, glass polyalkenoate cements, dentine bonding, dental amalgam, endodontic materials, casting alloys, ceramometallic restorations and resin-bonded bridges, ceramics, denture base resins and soft lining materials, impression materials, dental implant materials, orthodontic materials, biomechanics and image processing, resin composites, and casting investment materials and waxes). Three hundred and thirty three articles have been reviewed.