Silver-containing mesoporous bioglass promising for treating demineralized dentin: Study

The study is published in the Journal of Dentistry.

Yu-Ching Chiang and colleagues conducted this study to provide a suitable material capable of treating dentin hypersensitivity with simultaneous active antibacterial activity.

The authors developed silver-containing mesoporous bioglass (MBG-Ag) using the sol-gel technique, which loaded silver nanoparticles as promising bacteriostatic agents. The MBG-Ag with a powder-to-liquid ratio of 0.5 g: 0.01 mL were uniformly mixed with 20 %, 30 %, and 40 % phosphoric acid for 5, 10 and 20 min, respectively.

Furthermore, they evaluated the occlusion efficiency, depth of penetration, and antibacterial activity of dentin specimens by simulating a Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) infection on dentin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the powders and assess tubule occlusion. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the MBG-Ag against S. mutans were determined via time-killing curves and colony formation assays.

The following findings were highlighted-

2. The MIC ranged from 2.5 to 5 mg/mL, and the MBC ranged from 5 to 10 mg/mL.
3. The highest dentinal tubule occlusion efficiency was over 90 %. The colony formation assay confirmed that 5 mg/mL MBG-Ag mixed with phosphoric acid reached the bactericidal concentration.

Hence, it was concluded that "The MBG-Ag 40PA achieved a good occlusion efficiency and deep apatite precipitation in a short time, implying its superiority in clinical applications."

"The MBG-Ag formed in this study is a promising candidate for the treatment of demineralized dentin and confers antibacterial effects on the remineralized dentin surface against S. mutans", the authors further added.