Mechanical Properties, Biocompatibility and Anti-Bacterial Adhesion Property Evaluation of Silicone-Containing Resin Composite with Different Formulae

Novel branched silicone methacrylate was developed. The mechanical and biological properties of the resin system were investigated to select the formula proportion with the best overall performance. The novel silicone-containing monomers were combined with an incremental sequence of glass filler concentrations in commonly used Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (50/50, wt./wt.) dental resin systems. Physicochemical properties, surface properties, antibacterial adhesion effect, anti-biofilm effect, protein adsorption, and cytotoxicity were evaluated. The results showed that BSMs did not affect the double bond conversion of dental resin, but could reduce volumetric shrinkage (p < 0.05). The BSM containing resins can resist protein and bacteria adhesion (S. Mutans) because it has increased hydrophobicity and a lower free energy surface (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistically signifi- cant differences in cytotoxicity, surface roughness, and double bond conversion rate. Overall, the results indicate that changes in a material’s properties are not strictly proportional to its composition. Synthetic silicone resin methacrylate can reduce the polymerization shrinkage, have low surface energy and anti-adhesion properties. Silicone composite resin containing 70% matrix has the best comprehensive properties. The silicone methacrylate composite represents an innovative method to improve the properties and reducing secondary caries.