Activa BioActive-Restorative: A Study on its Protective Effect Against Demineralization

By Nate Lawson DMD, MA, PhD

In a recent study by Huang et al., Activa BioActive-Restorative was put to the test to examine its protective effect. Small box-shaped cavities on extracted molars were restored with Activa BioActive-Restorative and a traditional resin composite, both with a bonding agent. After subjecting the teeth to 30 days of artificial caries induction and remineralization, they were examined under polarized light microscopy.

Activa BioActive-Restorative demonstrated zones of protection near the interface, while conventional composite showed more demineralization. These results indicate Activa BioActive-Restorative’s ability to help protect the margins of tooth structure from demineralization.

Figure 1: Small box-shaped cavity preparations were prepared on the buccal surface of extracted molars.

Figure 2: The preparations were restored with Activa Bioactive-Restorative and a control of traditional resin composite. Both materials were used with a bonding agent.

Figure 3: The restored teeth were subjected to 30 days of artificial caries induction through repeated 4 hours of exposure to a lactic acid solution (pH=4) and 20 hours of remineralization.

Figure 4: The teeth were embedded into acrylic.

Figure 5: Next, the teeth were sectioned into 100 micron thick specimens.

Figure 6: Then, the teeth were examined under polarized light microscopy.

Figure 7: The teeth were examined at the interface between the restorative material and the root dentin to measure areas of demineralization (representing recurrent caries). Teeth restored with Activa Bioactive-Restorative demonstrated zones of protection that were not demineralized near the interface with Activa Bioactive-Restorative.

Figure 8: Teeth restored with a conventional composite demonstrated more demineralization near the interface with the composite than areas away from the composite (known as wall lesions). These results indicate that Activa BioActive-Restorative is able to help protect the margins of tooth structure from demineralization.

Activa Bioactive-Restorative

Nate Lawson DMD, MA, PhD is the Director of the Division of Biomaterials at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and the program director of the Biomaterials residency program. He graduated from UAB School of Dentistry in 2011 and obtained his PhD in Biomedical Engineering in 2012. His research interests are the mechanical, optical, and biologic properties of dental materials and clinical evaluation of new dental materials. He was the 2016 recipient of the Stanford New Investigator Award and the 2017 3M Innovative Research Fellowship both from the American Dental Association. He served on the American Dental Association Council of Scientific Affairs and is on the editorial board of The Journal of Adhesive Dentistry and Compendium. He has lectured nationally and internationally on the subject of dental materials. He also works as a general dentist in the UAB Faculty Practice.