Iranian nano scientists produce antimicrobial dentistry resins

Iranian dentists succeeded in the production of nanocomposite resin by adding zinc oxide nanoparticles to the dentistry resins which maintains physical and mechanical properties of the resin and enjoys desirable antimicrobial properties. This plan has applications in dentistry industries and consequently, in dentistry sciences. According to Dr. Sara Tavassoli from Dentistry Faculty of Shahed University, the aim of the research was to obtain a composite resin that its mechanical and physical properties is not reduced by adding antibacterial properties. “In this research, zinc oxide nanoparticles were added to a preventive and treatment material in the field of dentistry, and its antibacterial, mechanical, and physical properties were investigated at the same time,” she said. According to Dr. Tavassoli, the antibacterial properties of dentistry resins improve while their physical or mechanical properties are not reduced when zinc oxide nanoparticles are added to the resins. Since cavity is an infectious disease and bacteria play important role in it, the use of antibacterial composite resins will help very much the prevention of secondary cavity. Results of the research showed that the addition of zinc oxide nanoparticles to the composite resin in all investigated percentages (1-5 weight percent) significantly decreases the growth of Streptococcus mutans, and it does not change the mechanical properties in 1-2 weight percentages. Results of the research have been published in May 2013 in Dental Materials, vol. 29, issue 5. For more information about the details of the research, study the full article on pages 495-505 on the same journal.