Silver-containing dental composition

Abstract

A dental composition comprising a silver-containing ceramic having antimicrobial and color stabilizing properties and methods for using the composition. The composition comprises a silver-containing glass powder or a silver-containing zeolite powder, at least one monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group, and a polymerization initiator system. Other components, such as a filler, may also be included. The inventive composition possesses antimicrobial properties and exhibits excellent mechanical properties upon curing. Additionally, when the polymerization initiator is a two-part redox initiator system, the composition has improved color stability. The inventive composition can be used as a dental restorative composition, an endodontic composition, an orthodontic composition, and/or a prosthetic composition.

1 . A dental composition comprising 
 a silver zinc zeolite,    at least one monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group,    a polymerization initiator, and    at least one finely divided filler selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt, an inorganic oxide, and combinations thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the inorganic oxide is zinc oxide.  
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the filler has a mean particle size of less than about 20 μm.  
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein silver zinc zeolite is at a concentration in the range of about 0.01% w/w  to about 10% w/w  of the composition.  
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the silver zinc zeolite is a powder.  
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the silver zinc zeolite powder has a mean particle size less than about 30 μm.  
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the silver zinc zeolite powder is aluminosilicate zeolite with silver ions and zinc ions at ion-exchangeable sites.  
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 7  wherein the aluminosilicate zeolite is selected from the group consisting of A zeolite, X zeolite, Y zeolite, mordenite, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       9 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the ethylenically unsaturated group is selected from the group consisting of a vinyl group, a methacrylate group, an acrylate group, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the polymerization initiator is selected from the group consisting of a photo-initiator, a redox initiator, a heat initiator, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the silver zinc zeolite further comprises copper.  
   
   
       12 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of a second filler, a solvent, a colorant, a stabilizer, an ultraviolet light absorber, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       13 . The composition of  claim 12  wherein the second filler is selected from the group consisting of inorganic metal, silicate, aluminosilicate, aluminoborosilicate, fluoroaluminosilicate, colloidal silica, precipitated silica, polymeric filler, polymerized composite filler with inorganic particles, bariumaluminosilicate, bariumaluminoborosilicate, strontiumaluminosilicate, zincaluminosilicate, bariumaluminofluorosilicate, strontiumaluminofluorosilicate, zirconia, zirconiumaluminosilicate, fumed silica, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The composition of  claim 12  wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, acetone, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of a resin composite, a resin-ionomer, and a resin-modified glass-ionomer.  
   
   
       16 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of a restorative composition, an endodontic composition, an orthodontic composition, a prosthetic composition, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The composition of  claim 16  wherein the restorative composition is selected from the group consisting of a filling material, a cement, a liner, a base, a primer, an adhesive, a sealant, a sealer, an inlay, an onlay, a crown, a bridge, a denture, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       18 . The composition of  claim 1  for use to improve color stability.  
   
   
       19 . A dental composition comprising 
 a silver zinc zeolite,    at least one monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group,    a polymerization initiator, and    a zinc oxide filler.    
   
   
       20 . The composition of  claim 19  further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of a second filler, a solvent, a colorant, a stabilizer, an ultraviolet light absorber, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       21 . A dental composition comprising at least one monomer having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group, a polymerization initiator, and a composition comprising a silver zinc zeolite and zinc oxide.  
   
   
       22 . The composition of  claim 21  further comprising a component selected from the group consisting of a second filler, a solvent, a colorant, a stabilizer, an ultraviolet light absorber, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       23 . A method for providing an antimicrobial composition to a tooth comprising preparing the composition of any of claims  1 ,  2 ,  12 ,  19 ,  20 ,  21 , or  22 , and providing the composition to the tooth.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of curing the composition after providing the composition to the tooth.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of curing the composition before providing the composition to the tooth.