Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ Materials and methods

۳٫ Results

۴٫ Discussion

۵٫ Conclusions

Declaration of Competing Interest

Acknowledgement

References

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the feasibility using nanomaterials to prevent and/or repair wear of teeth. Canine teeth have thin enamel prone to dental wear, causing pain, tooth loss, and infection. This research developed a new teeth repair agent based on the tribochemically active nanoparticles. The presence and properties of synthesized repair agents were evaluated after applying the repair agents by rubbing (simulated chewing) between extracted dog teeth. Polyether modified alpha‑zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) nanoparticles form a strong and durable protective layer on a canine tooth’s enamel surface through chewing. The effectiveness of this protective film generation was enhanced by adding hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles into the repair agent. This protective film is up to 2 μm thick and has a hardness comparable to the enamel substrate. These results show that by chewing with the repair agent, the teeth are protected. The tomography result shows this repair agent also has the potential to mend cracks on the enamel surface. This research reports a novel approach to protect the wear of teeth. Nanoparticles promoted the generation of a protective film in situ during the chewing process. This nanomaterial can be the base of novel dental protective devices such as chewing toys or gums that preventing or reversing tooth wear and reducing the stress and cost of dental restoration operations.

۱٫ Introduction
Tooth enamel is the hardest and most dense structure in the mammalian body. It serves to protect the interior of the tooth from the normal flora of the oral cavity and other harmful substances [1,2]. Although it is the hardest tissue in humans and animals [3–۶], it can suffer damage from mechanical forces [7–۱۲] and acidic solutions [13–۱۶]. In dogs, the enamel layer is significantly thinner than in humans [17] and more prone to excessive wear and damage. This type of wear can result in dentin and pulp exposure causing significant oral pain, tooth loss, or periarticular and pulpal infections [18,19], leading to deterioration in quality of life and, in extreme cases, to be life threatening [13,20,21]. Recently, remineralization of damaged tooth enamel was presented as an alternative method to traditional dental operations [22–۲۴]. These researchers utilized the bio-mineralization process that naturally presented in the dental environment [25–۲۷]. Precursors to the nanoparticle hydroxyapatite were used to form the hard enamel tissue in vitro or in vivo [23,27]. Some examples of the precursors are casein phosphopeptide-stabilized amorphous calcium phosphate [28–۳۰]; amelogenin with fluoride [31], and polydopamine with hydroxyapatite (HAP) [23]. Unlike traditional dental treatments, this method repaired teeth with materials that were almost identical to the teeth themselves. However, like the natural biomineralization process, using the remineralization method required significant time (>24 h) to take effect [22,23,27]. This is a major limitation to the clinical application of this approach.