Effect of niobium pentoxide incorporation on the mechanical properties of an experimental resin sealant

Abstract

The application of resin sealants is a conservative alternative within the philosophy of minimal intervention in dentistry. Recently, the incorporation of particles has been used in several fields, especially for the purpose of mechanical improvement of dental materials. Niobium (Nb) has been studied in the biomedical area for the possibility of promoting a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of experimental materials. In addition, it is a biocompatible particle with the ability to also improve the chemical and physical properties of materials, presenting a bioactive character. Such bioactivity can increase the remineralization of dentin after the development of the caries lesion, through the remineralization process. Objective: To evaluate the effects of incorporating different concentrations of niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) on the physical-mechanical properties of an experimental resin sealant. Methodology: This in vitro study will have two phases. The first, in which the resinous sealant will be developed after the incorporation of different concentrations of Nb2O5, and the second, where the analyzes of the physico-chemical properties will be carried out, in which the samples will be submitted to tests of resistance to flexion and modulus of elasticity (n=15) and roughness (n=10),before and after aging, simulating intraoral clinical conditions. The concentrations of Nb2O5 that will be evaluated in this study will be 0, 2, 5 and 10 wt%. To analyze the physicochemical properties, the samples will be evaluated before (T 0) and after cycling that simulate intraoral aging (thermal cycling and mechanical brushing) (T 1). Statistical analysis will be subjected to exploratory analysis to determine the normal distribution of results, with the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene statistical tests. Statistical calculations will be conducted using the SPSS 23 program, considering a significance level of 5%. Expected results: It is expected that the incorporation of different concentrations of niobium pentoxide in the experimental sealant developed in the present study will improve the mechanical properties that will be analyzed.