Iranian researchers have developed a type of porous silica nanomaterial that could serve as a filling agent for dental composites (Dental Materials, September, 2012, Vol. 28:9, pp. 1012-1023).
Researchers at the Polymer & Petrochemical Institute in Tehran used a thermal sintering treatment to produce porous silica nanoparticles and integrated them into composites to obtain enhanced properties, according to a press release. The thermal sintering process helps lower specific surface areas of the nanoparticles and facilitates the attachment of nanoparticles to the composite via mechanical microbondings, the researchers found.
Comparative studies have been done about the commercial dental composites comprised of micro and nano-sized particles and the prepared nanocomposite, which showed good results in terms of elasticity, flexural strength, and toughness for the novel composite.
In addition, the proposed nanocomposite provides a smoother surface after being subject to tooth brushing, according to the study authors. Moreover, no significant discrepancy in the diametral tensile strengths and degrees of conversion of the prepared and the commercial samples was found.
