Examining the Impact of Mesoporous Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle Inclusion on the Surface Microhardness and Roughness of Resin‐Modified Glass Ionomer Cement: An In Vitro Analysis

Aim Addressing the need for enhanced antibacterial properties in dental materials, this study investigated the impact of integrating zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and mesoporous ZnO NPs into resin‐modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) on microhardness and surface roughness. Materials and Methods Seventy disk‐shaped RMGIC specimens were allocated to seven experimental groups: RMGIC (control), RMGIC with 3 wt.% ZnO NPs, 5 wt.% ZnO NPs, 7 wt.% ZnO NPs, 3 wt.% mesoporous ZnO NPs, 5 wt.% mesoporous ZnO NPs, and 7 wt.% mesoporous ZnO NPs. Surface roughness and Vickers microhardness were quantified using a surface profilometer and Vickers microhardness tester, respectively. Statistical analysis was carried out with a significance level set at p < 0.05. Result Incorporating 5 wt.% of ZnO NPs or mesoporous ZnO NPs into the RMGIC yielded the highest microhardness values, while the control group exhibited the lowest microhardness values. Notably, the microhardness values of RMGIC with 3 and 5 wt.% ZnO NPs or mesoporous ZnO NPs were significantly higher than those of the 7 wt.% concentration. Regarding surface roughness, the control group displayed the highest roughness value, while RMGIC with 5 wt.% mesoporous ZnO NPs exhibited the lowest roughness values. Therefore, incorporating up to 5 wt.% ZnO NPs or mesoporous ZnO NPs led to decreased roughness values, with a notable increase observed at the 7 wt.% concentration, albeit still lower than the control group’s roughness values. Conclusion Incorporating 5 wt.% ZnO NPs or mesoporous ZnO NPs resulted in significantly enhanced microhardness values compared to the control group and the 7 wt.% concentration. The introduction of up to 5 wt.% NPs led to reduced surface roughness, with the 7 wt.% concentration showing a slight increase in roughness. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing NP concentrations, particularly mesoporous NPs, in RMGIC to enhance mechanical properties, offering valuable insights for the development of dental materials with improved performance characteristics.