Ca-Doped mesoporous SiO2/dental resin composites with enhanced mechanical properties, bioactivity and antibacterial properties.

Ca-Doped mesoporous SiO2 (MCS) nanoparticles with diameter of 230 nm were synthesized by a sol-gel method with some modification. As inorganic fillers, they improved the mechanical properties of the resin composites with 5%, 10%, 20% addition (5RC, 10RC, 20RC). After soaking in the simulated oral fluid (SOF), the resin composites showed excellent activity in inducing apatite-mineralization. As mesoporous nanoparticles, they can be used as carriers for loading the antibacterial drug Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CiH). The antibacterial testing of the resin composites with MCS-CiH (5RC-CiH, 10RC-CiH, 20RC-CiH) demonstrated excellent antibacterial effects. The incorporation of Ca-doped mesoporous SiO2 into dental resin is a suitable approach for improving the properties of the dental resin, and the MCS/resin composites have the potential for application in preventing secondary-caries.