Project Details
Projekt
The tooth-dental calculus interzone as a bioinspiration for adhesion
Applicants
Dr. Cécile Bidan; Professor Dr. Sebastian Paris
Subject Area
Biomaterials
Dentistry, Oral Surgery
Dentistry, Oral Surgery
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 396127899
Biofilms are living materials appearing when bacteria synthesize and assemble extracellular matrix components after colonizing a surface. Biofilms constitute a key feature of bacteria survival in biologically, chemically and/or physically challenging environments. In the mouth, the microbiome colonizes the natural pellicle formed on teeth and builds a biofilm known as dental plaque, which is associated with common dental diseases (e.g. caries and periodontitis). Dental calculus is formed when the dental plaque mineralizes in contact with the calcium and phosphate containing oral fluids. Supragingival calculus is located above the gingival margin, while subgingival calculus is located below the gingival margin, e.g. in the periodontal pocket. Dentists observe different material brittleness and adhesion strength to the tooth substrate of supragingival versus subgingival calculus. The mineralization processes leading to these differences are yet only partially understood and we aim to derive principles for efficient adhesion form this tooth-calculus-interzone. In the first funding period, we developed an in vitro model for dental calculus formation by establishing strategies to grow mineralized biofilms on soft substrates, and then on hard materials routinely used for dental restorations. The resulting artificial mouth model now enables systematic studies of how the properties of the underlying surface (restoration or tooth material) influences biofilm formation and mineralization. In the second phase, we will study natural dental calculus formation in decreasingly complex conditions by expanding the InterDent biobank with ex vivo samples of natural supra- and sub-gingival mineralized biofilms and implementing an in situ model to collect dental calculus in different maturation stages. We will use microscopy, spectroscopy and mechanical multiscale approaches to characterize the substrate-calculus interzones and identify the principles of calculus adhesion. Ultimately, the knowledge accumulated throughout our two complementary projects will be instrumental in the development of new strategies towards long-lasting interfaces in dentistry.
DFG Programme
Research Units
