Enhancement of the Mechanical Properties of a Dental Glass Ionomer Cement by Silica/Hydroxyapatite/Silver Nanocomposite

In this study, we introduce a novel hybrid nanocomposite composed of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs), hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles, and silver (Ag) nanoparticles. Our primary objective was to enhance the mechanical and biological properties of commercial Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) by incorporating this synthesized nanocomposite. We employed various characterization techniques, including Fourier-Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis, to elucidate the structure and morphology of the synthesized nanocomposite. Subsequently, we conducted investigations into the mechanical properties of the modified GIC. Our results revealed that the incorporation of the nanocomposite led to significant improvements in the compressive and flexural strengths of the GIC. Notably, the most substantial improvements were observed with nanocomposite content ranging from 2% to 5%. Additionally, we assessed the release of fluoride ions (F¯) over ten days with varying weight percentages (wt%) of the synthesized nanocomposite. Remarkably, the samples containing 7% and 10% of the nanocomposite exhibited the highest F¯ release. In summary, our findings suggest that the hybrid mesoporous silica/hydroxyapatite/Ag nanocomposite not only enhances the mechanical properties of conventional GICs but also shows potential as a material for restorative dentistry. Its ability to improve both mechanical and biological aspects makes it a compelling candidate for further research and application in dental practice.