Rare Earth Oxide Containing Filler for Dental Composite Resin

Abstract

A composite resin (CR) with photo-polymerization is widely used for dental filling material. Because of their good esthetics, the visual inspection of restored teeth becomes difficult. In this study, the fluorescent glass/ceramics fillers containing rare earth oxides — which are well-known fluorescent materials — was prepared and applied in CR to enhance visual inspection capability with small influence in color. Eu2O3-containing Y2O3 filler (Y2O3:Eu) prepared with homogeneous coprecipitaion method showed clear fluorescence at 614nm with near ultraviolet light (385nm) excitation. The fluorescence intensity of the prepared Y2O3:Eu filler increased with increase of Eu content in the Y2O3 filler upto 15mol% of Eu content. The composite resin was prepared with the mixed filler of Y2O3:Eu filler and the conventional glass filler. The content of Y2O3:Eu was varied between 0 to 40wt% of mixed filler. The prepared composite resin also showed clear fluorescence with quite small affect to the color change and the Vickers hardness of composite resin. Therefore, the prepared rare earth oxide containing Y2O3 filler was applicable as the filler of dental composite resin.