College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China; College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA.
College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.
Int J Pharm. 2019 May 1;562:66-75. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.03.024. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
In view of the high incidence and long-term treatment of dental caries, personalized dental fillers with long therapeutic action have broad application prospects in the dental clinic. The objective of this study was to fabricate and evaluate novel dental fillers using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology. Tinidazole (TNZ), a commonly used antibacterial drug in the dental clinic, was chosen as the model compound. Models of molars with carious cavities were obtained via 3D scanning. TNZ dental fillers were indirectly produced by thermal pressing using customized 3D printed molds. In addition, bio-relevant in vitro dissolution and mechanical testing methods were developed using customized 3D printed release and compression molds, respectively. It was observed that the formability, mechanical properties, and release behavior of the TNZ dental fillers were affected by mold materials, plasticizers, and release modifiers. The developed dental fillers were capable of sustained releasing TNZ over one week. The TNZ release characteristics can be tailored based on clinical requirements by varying hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E5 (HPMC-E5) concentrations and filler dimensions. Moreover, computational simulation based on the finite element method showed that the biomechanical behavior of the TNZ dental fillers met the daily use requirement. The present study demonstrated that the state-of-the-art 3D printing technology can be used to design and fabricate personalized dental fillers with high mechanical strength and "on-demand" drug release characteristics.
鉴于龋齿的高发病率和长期治疗，具有长期治疗作用的个性化牙填充剂在牙科临床中具有广阔的应用前景。本研究旨在利用先进的 3D 打印技术来制备和评估新型牙填充剂。替硝唑（TNZ）是牙科临床中常用的抗菌药物，被选为模型化合物。通过 3D 扫描获得具有龋洞的磨牙模型。使用定制的 3D 打印模具通过热压间接生产 TNZ 牙填充剂。此外，还分别使用定制的 3D 打印释放和压缩模具开发了生物相关的体外溶解和机械测试方法。结果表明，TNZ 牙填充剂的可成型性、机械性能和释放行为受模具材料、增塑剂和释放改性剂的影响。所开发的牙填充剂能够在一周内持续释放 TNZ。通过改变羟丙基甲基纤维素 E5（HPMC-E5）浓度和填充剂尺寸，可以根据临床要求调整 TNZ 的释放特性。此外，基于有限元法的计算模拟表明，TNZ 牙填充剂的生物力学行为满足日常使用要求。本研究表明，先进的 3D 打印技术可用于设计和制造具有高强度和“按需”药物释放特性的个性化牙填充剂。
