DOPAMER: Innovative Restorative Dental Material With Superior Remineralization Power

Objectives: This study addresses the critical issue of secondary dental caries and restoration failure by evaluating the mineralization, mechanical strength, and antibacterial efficacy of a novel polydopamine (PDA)-containing glass ionomer, “DOPAMER.” We compare its performance to Fuji IX and Herculite, two widely used restorative materials.
Methods: DOPAMER was synthesized by blending PDA-containing aluminosilicate glass with Fuji IX at a 3.6:1 powder/liquid ratio. Mechanical properties were assessed by testing compressive and flexural strength in comparison to Fuji IX and Herculite. Bond strength to dentin was evaluated with Fuji IX as the control group, with 7 samples per group. The bioactivity was studied using Standard Electron Microscopy and Raman spectroscopy over 1, 7, and 14 days in artificial saliva, with 10 samples per group. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were cultured with DOPAMER, Fuji IX, and Herculite for 14 days to assess dentinogenesis via fluorescence imaging, CCK-8 assays, and odontogenic gene expression analysis. Antibacterial properties were tested against Streptococcus mutans biofilms, with absorbance measured at 580 nm. Statistical analysis was conducted using t-tests and one/two-way ANOVA (α=0.05).
Results: DOPAMER exhibited superior mechanical properties, including compressive strength comparable to Herculite and higher flexural, shear bond, and microtensile strengths than Fuji IX (p<0.05) (Figure 1). It promoted hydroxyapatite formation at the dentin interface, unlike Fuji IX, which showed gaps after immersion in artificial saliva (Figure 2A). DOPAMER enhanced dentinogenesis by upregulating odontogenic genes: dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE), and dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP-1). DOPAMER also showed better antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans compared to Fuji IX and Herculite. Additionally, no inflammation was observed in the rat model, and DOPAMER promoted dentin-bridge formation in vivo (Figure 2B).
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that DOPAMER, a PDA-containing glass ionomer cement, is a promising bioactive restorative material with improved mechanical strength, remineralization capability, and antibacterial properties.