One-Pack Tooth Coating via Ionic Crosslinking and Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental surface coating materials fail to provide long-term adhesion, durability, and dentinal tubule occlusion while maintaining aesthetic appearance, and they require complex storage and application procedures due to gelation issues when stored in a single package.
Innovation Solution
A one-package tooth surface coating material comprising a polymerizable monomer with an acidic group-containing monomer, polyvalent metal ions, a volatile water-soluble organic solvent, and water, which forms a cured film with high adhesion and durability by synergistic ionic crosslinking, preventing gelation and allowing deep penetration into dentinal tubules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a dental adhesive containing acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer and polyvalent metal ions is used to achieve strong adhesion to teeth, then adhesion strength is improved, but gelation occurs during storage when kept in a single package
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material is divided into two separate packages: one containing the acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer and water-soluble organic solvent, and another containing the polyvalent metal ions. This segmentation prevents premature gelation during storage while allowing both components to be present during application to achieve strong adhesion through ionic crosslinking.
Solution Approach 2:
A water-soluble organic solvent acts as an intermediary substance that controls the release and interaction of polyvalent metal ions. The solvent modulates the ionic crosslinking process, enabling strong adhesion formation during application while preventing premature gelation during storage by controlling the availability of metal ions.
2Strength
If pre-treatment with etching agent and permeation accelerator is performed to improve adhesion, then adhesion strength is improved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material combines multiple functions into a single application: it contains both the acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer for tooth deliming and the water-soluble organic solvent for permeation acceleration. This merging eliminates the need for separate pre-treatment steps with etching agents and permeation accelerators, reducing operation complexity while maintaining strong adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating material is designed as a multi-functional composition that performs tooth deliming, permeation acceleration, and adhesion formation simultaneously in a single application step. This universal formulation replaces multiple specialized pre-treatment products, simplifying the overall procedure while achieving the same adhesion strength.
3Reliability
If the coating material permeates deep into dentinal tubules to achieve dentinal tubule occlusion, then hypersensitivity suppression is improved, but the material requires precise control of viscosity and penetration depth
Solution Approach 1:
The water-soluble organic solvent serves as a viscosity controller that enables precise regulation of the coating material's penetration depth. By adjusting the solvent content and properties, the material achieves optimal flow characteristics for deep penetration into dentinal tubules during application, while the ionic crosslinking process provides controlled setting that ensures reliable occlusion without requiring complex precision control systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The material achieves strong, long-lasting adhesion to both enamel and dentin, maintains luster, and effectively occludes dentinal tubules, while being stable for storage and easy to apply, addressing the limitations of existing materials.
Implementation Method 1
the material comprises: (A) a polymerizable monomer component containing not less than 5% by mass of an acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer; (B) polyvalent metal ions; (C) a volatile water-soluble organic solvent; (D) water; and (E) an effective amount of a photopolymerization initiator
Implementation Method 2
develops ionic crosslinking at the time of curing owing to the interaction among the acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer, water and polyvalent metal ions eluted out from the filler in addition to the radical polymerization of the polymerizable monomer
Implementation Method 3
a volatile water-soluble organic solvent that is methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone and methyl ethyl ketone or a mixture thereof
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
[Problems] To provide a one-package type tooth surface coating material that is capable of forming, on the surface of a tooth, a cured film having not only a very high strength of adhesion to the tooth surface but also excellent properties such as long-term adhesion, long-term durability, dentinal tubule occlusion and aesthetic appearance, and that has excellent storage stability and can be stored in the form of one package. [Means for Solution] A one-package type tooth surface coating material comprising (A) a polymerizable monomer component containing not less than 5% by mass of an acidic group-containing polymerizable monomer; (B) polyvalent metal ions; (C) a volatile water-soluble organic solvent; (D) water; and (E) an effective amount of a photopolymerization initiator; the amount of the polyvalent metal ions (B) and the amount of the volatile water-soluble organic solvent (C) satisfying a specific relationship.