Influence of the Type of Nanofillers on the Properties of Composites Used in Dentistry and 3D Printing

Abstract

Photopolymerization is a growing field with an extensive range of applications and is environmentally friendly owing to its energy-efficient nature. Such light-assisted curing methods were initially used to cure the coatings. However, it has become common to use photopolymerization to produce 3D objects, such as bridges or dental crowns, as well as to cure dental fillings. In this study, polymer nanocomposites containing inorganic nanofillers (such as zinc nano-oxide and zinc nano-oxide doped with two wt.% aluminum, titanium nano-oxide, kaolin nanoclay, zirconium nano-oxide, aluminum nano-oxide, and silicon nano-oxide) were fabricated and studied using Real Time FT-IR to investigate the effects of these nanoadditives on the final conversion rates of the obtained nanocomposites. The effects of the fillers on the viscosity of the produced nanocomposites were also investigated, and 3D prints of the selected nanocomposites were presented.