Physical/mechanical properties and ion release ability of an experimental dental resin infiltrant containing silanized fluoride-doped bioactive glass

Bioactive glasses (BG) are widely used in dentistry as a bioactive material. However, studies have found that BG may adversely affect some properties of dental products. Silanization may be able to overcome the some shortcomings of BG fillers. This study aimed to assess the effect of the silanization of a synthesized fluoride-doped bioactive glass (FBG) on the mechanical/physical properties and ion release ability of an experimental resin infiltrant. Synthesized FBG fillers were silanized, characterized and dispersed in a prepared experimental resin infiltrant (RI). The degree of conversion (DC), flexural strength (FS), elastic modulus (EM), water sorption (WS), solubility (SL), and ion release of the experimental groups, including; the unfilled RI (URI), RI+non-silanized FBG (FBG-RI), and RI+silanized FBG (SFBG-RI), were measured. The results showed that the silanization of FBG fillers did not significantly change the DC, FS, EM and WS of filled RIs (p>0.05). The SL value of filled RIs decreased significantly after silanization (p<0.05). Salinization did not inhibit the releasing of ions from BG fillers. Considering the significant reduction in the SL value, silanization appears to be an effective way to overcome one of the shortcomings of BG fillers. However, to improve the physical/mechanical and ion-releasing properties of resin infiltrants, silanization processes or silane concentrations can be modified.