Evaluation of shear bond strength of glass ionomers modified by silk nanoparticles

• Grant number: 21/14202-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2022
• End date: January 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Materials
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Galo
• Grantee: Nathalia de Sousa Faria
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto (FORP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Glass ionomer cement (GIC) is widely used in several dental applications and its composition has been modified so that its physicochemical and mechanical characteristics are improved. These modifications seek to improve some properties such as increased resistance to compression and wear, greater surface hardness, better aesthetics, in addition to easier handling. Therefore, it is still necessary to develop new materials or modify existing ones to achieve better performance. Used by the textile industry for many years, silk fibroin (SF) is produced by silkworms (Bombyx mori). It is a polymer that has become the target of much research in biomedical and biotechnological applications due to its high mechanical strength and tenacity, high biocompatibility, processing flexibility, resistance to chemical substances and microorganisms, ability to resist enzymatic breakdown, and high resistance to moisture. This silk has been used in healthcare, in surgical sutures, scaffolds for tissue regeneration in cell culture substrates, and substrates for drug delivery materials. Faced with the positive properties of SF and its potential to improve the mechanical properties of materials used in Dentistry, revealed in recent studies. The objective of this study will be to modify the GIC through the incorporation of silk nanoparticles and will be evaluated the influence of the incorporation of these nanoparticles in glass ionomer cement on the shear strength of these materials. In addition, the characterization of these materials will be performed before and after the incorporation of SF by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, and FTIR. (AU)