aochengchem: Application of silanes in dentistry

There are many applications of silanes,such as silane adhesion promoters,building protection,cables and pipes,fillers and pigments,dentistry and so on.Today,we will focus on explaining application of silanes in dentistry,we will tell you something about it as follows:
Ceramic restorations and repairs
Silane coupling agents are used in dental restoration, such as ceramic repairs of onlays, inlays, crowns and bridges. For most patients, repair is more economical and time-saving than the fabrication of new restorations, unless damage due to a fracture is beyond repair. The clinical procedure for repairing ceramic restoration usually involves the following steps: roughening the surface with diamond burs, sand-blasting the surface, acid etching, silanization and finally bonding to resin composite.
Glass fibre-reinforced composites
A relatively new group of dental biomaterials, the glass fibre-reinforced composites, is used in fixed partial dentures, removable prosthodontics, periodontal splints and retention splints. The adhesion between the glass fibre and resin composite is improved by adding a silane coupling agent. The silane forms siloxane linkages with the surface hydroxyl groups of glass fibre. The organo-functional groups of silane react with the functional group in the resin composite. Thus, the bonding strength is increased between resin composite and glass fibre.
Resin composite filling materials
Nowadays,dental resin composites are composed of a resin matrix that contains monomers and cross-linking monomers, as well as a free-radical initiator, an inhibitor, colouring pigments, filler materials such as barium glass, silica, apatite and a silane coupling agent. The latter enhances the bonding between the filler particles and the resin matrix. The filler particles added to the resin matrix also improve the physical and mechanical properties of the resin composite. Moreover, the addition of fillers reduces volume shrinkage after polymerisation, and improves the aesthetic appearance and radiopacity.
Titanium, noble metal and base metal alloys
Titanium, noble metals and cobalt–chromium (base metal) alloys are commonly used for removable partial and complete dentures with a metal frame incorporated and metal–resin cement restorations. For these metal and metal alloys, surface conditioning by sand-blasting using silica-coated alumina particles produces a silica-coated layer on the surface. Application of a silane coupling agent to the silica-coated surfaces forms a durable siloxane linkage. This is followed by cementation.