In Vitro Bioactivity Studies of Sol-Gel Derived Dental Ceramics/Bioactive Glass Composites in Periodically Renewed Biomimetic Solution

The aim of this work is the investigation of the in vitro bioactivity of sol-gel derived dental ceramics/bioactive glass (DC/BG) composites in periodically renewed SBF, as they are reported to promote the development of an apatite layer on their surfaces even under static conditions. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the reacted samples as powders and as thermally treated disk shaped specimens. DC/BG composites—both as powders and as thermally treated specimens—presented bioactivity in periodically renewed c-SBF. The onset of apatite formation on the surface of all powdered samples was observed even after three days of immersion, while the apatite formation on the surface of the heated composite specimens was slightly delayed. Moreover, it was observed an almost linear delay of apatite development to the dental ceramic concentration, attributed to the, accordingly, increased non-bioactive leucite content.