New Advanced Materials for High Performance at the Resin-Dentine Interface

Abstract

This chapter provides a tool for the integration of new concepts and biomaterials related with the resin-dentine interface. The principles of dentine demineralisation and remineralisation that shape modern restorative dentistry practices, as well as considerations for the selection of new materials for different restorative approaches, are emphasised. Re-incorporation of mineral into the demineralised dentine matrix is important since the mineral precipitated may work as a constant site for further nucleation, and the remineralised subsurface of the tissue may be more resistant to subsequent acid attack. This deposition of minerals may be due to both spontaneous precipitation induced by local supersaturation of Ca and P in the presence of non-specific tissue alkaline phosphatase or through heterogeneous nucleation sites provided by phosphoproteins within the dentine collagen matrix. Nucleation is a multistep process involving both protein and mineral transition and suggests a temporally synchronised process. Dentine provides both structural and chemical frameworks, acting as a scaffold for mineral deposition at specific sites. The ultimate goal in the design and improvement of new materials for high performance at the resin-dentine interface is to render a stronger and durable adhesion to dental tissues despite the severe conditions in the oral environment. In the present chapter, glass ionomers, calcium-phosphate cements and doped dental adhesives have been selected to represent the cutting edge biomaterials at the interface.