Abstract
Polymerization of the MMA/TBBO resin system was investigated in the presence of collagen powder treated with 3wt% ferric chloride-10wt% citric acid solution (FC-CA), and the curing time, amount of unpolymerized monomer and molecular weight were measured. The curing time of MMA/TBBO resins was markedly reduced in the presence of FC-CA treated collagen, whereas it was increased by either FC-CA or collagen alone. The presence of FC-CA treated collagen resulted in reduction of the amount of unpolymerized monomer. Acceleration of curing and reduction of the amount of unpolymerized MMA were especially significant with MMA/TBBO resins containing 5wt% of 4-META. The number-average molecular weight of MMA/BTTO resin cured in the presence of FC-CA treated collagen increased to 10.0×104, while the value for MMA/TBBO resin cured alone was 5.7×104. The findings suggested that FC-CA contributes to improved bonding of the resins to dentin by promoting polymerization of MMA.
