Dental Applications of Glasses - Bio-Glasses: An Introduction - page 169

to give better bonding and mechanical properties to the glass ionomer
cement containing bioactive glass [25].
11.10 SUMMARY
Bioactive glasses are characterised by their ability to bond chemically to
both hard and soft tissues. Although several studies have been conducted
in the field, the clinical applications of bioactive glasses in dentistry are
limited. Most studies of bioactive glasses deal with bone research.
Currently, bioactive glasses find clinical uses in granule form as bone
fillers in augmentation of the alveolar ridge.
One of the main challenges for an increased utilisation of bioactive
glasses in dentistry is to design products and packages that can be
handled and used easily by dental healthcare professionals. Using bioac-
tive glasses as components of thermosetting or light-curing polymers
offers a possibility to develop products that can be formed in situ to
bone fillers, implants or other reconstruction materials. The bioactive
glasses aid osteointegration of biostable polymer implants and enhance
the regeneration capability of the bone tissue of biodegradable polymer
scaffolds.
Fine particulates of bioactive glasses also have potential in toothpastes
for treating hypersensitivity, and for enhancing enamel and dentine
mineralisation. The ability of small particles of bioactive glasses to
reduce the viability of oral microorganisms offers interesting possibilities
to develop biomaterials that can be used, for example, in temporary or
permanent fillings in treatment of caries.
The dissolution rate and the bioactivity of the glasses can be adjusted
with changes in the composition. This offers a possibility to develop novel
products for dental applications. For example, slowly dissolving and
osteoconductive glass particles and fibres could be of interest for fibre-
reinforced composites or in composites with biodegradable polymers.
REFERENCES
[1] Hench, L.L. (1991) Bioceramics: from concept to clinic. Journal of the American
Ceramic Society , 74 , 1487-1510.
[2] Andersson, O.H., Karlsson, K.H., Kangasniemi, K. and Yli-Urpo, A. (1988) Model
for physical properties and bioactivity of phosphate opal glasses. Glastechnische
Berichte , 61 , 300-305.
[3] Hupa, L., Karlsson, K.H., Aro, H. and Hupa, M. (2010) Comparison of in vitro
and in vivo reactions of bioactive glasses. Glass Technology: European Journal of
Glass Science and Technology , 51 , 89-92.