A hardenable (e.g. dental) compositions is described comprising an encapsulated material. The encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material having certain viscosity criteria. Also described are dispensing devices and kits are described comprising a hardenable (e.g. dental) composition comprising a liquid material and an encapsulated material wherein the encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material comprising a metal oxide surrounding the core. The dispensing devices and kits can facilitate the methods of applying the hardenable composition. The hardenable or hardened (e.g. cured) composition can provide various technical effects such as a delayed release of a basic core material, a delayed increase in basicity, promoting remineralization of a tooth or bone structure, and increasing the average alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of pulp cells. In some embodiments, the composition is a dental (e.g. sealant) composition for application to a tooth structure.

The invention relates to implant materials that are based on hydraulic cements in the form of one or more pastes, suspensions or dispersions that contain mineral and/or organic and/or organomineral solids and that react, when combined or when reacted with an aqueous liquid, to a solid in a cement-type initiation reaction. The invention also relates to the use of these materials as technical, medical-technical and/or pharmaceutical products, especially as bone cements, bone replacement materials, bone glues, dental filling materials and implantable active ingredient carriers. The implant materials according to the invention in the form of one or more pastes, suspensions or dispersions that contain mineral and/or organic and/or organomineral solids are formulated in an excipient liquid in such a manner that the pastes, suspensions or dispersions are stable in storage at normal conditions over a prolonged period of time and that they react, when combined with an aqueous liquid or when added to an aqueous liquid, in a cement-type initiation reaction and set to a solid. The excipient liquid of the mineral paste, suspension or dispersion is substantially water-free, and water immiscible or insoluble or hardly soluble in water in the chemical sense.

The present invention relates to a rapid-setting hydraulic binder composition and, more specifically, to a hydraulic binder composition, which contains tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and dodecacalcium heptaaluminate (C12A7), and thus is rapidly set, has an easily adjustable setting time, and is bio-friendly.

A cement system for forming an implant comprises a reactive glass ionomer cement (GIC) powder, a polycarboxylic acid or salt, and a filler. The polycarboxylic acid or salt is included to initially provide a paste having a pH less than 7 when the cement system is mixed with water. In one embodiment, the filler is substantially inert when mixed with water and is selected from (CaO)(AI.sub.2O.sub.3)6, (CaO)(AI.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.2, calcium silicate (CaOSiO.sub.2), and mixtures thereof. In another embodiment, the filler is substantially reactive when mixed with water and is selected from (CaO).sub.2(SiO.sub.2), (CaO).sub.3(SiO.sub.2), and mixtures thereof, and the cement system includes an additional acid to maintain the paste at a pH less than 7 for at least one hour after the cement system is mixed with water.

A hardenable (e.g. dental) compositions is described comprising an encapsulated material. The encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material having certain viscosity criteria. Also described are dispensing devices and kits are described comprising a hardenable (e.g. dental) composition comprising a liquid material and an encapsulated material wherein the encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material comprising a metal oxide surrounding the core. The dispensing devices and kits can facilitate the methods of applying the hardenable composition. The hardenable or hardened (e.g. cured) composition can provide various technical effects such as a delayed release of a basic core material, a delayed increase in basicity, promoting remineralization of a tooth or bone structure, and increasing the average alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of pulp cells. In some embodiments, the composition is a dental (e.g. sealant) composition for application to a tooth structure.

A hardenable (e.g. dental) compositions is described comprising an encapsulated material. The encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material having certain viscosity criteria. Also described are dispensing devices and kits are described comprising a hardenable (e.g. dental) composition comprising a liquid material and an encapsulated material wherein the encapsulated material comprises a basic core material and an inorganic shell material comprising a metal oxide surrounding the core. The dispensing devices and kits can facilitate the methods of applying the hardenable composition. The hardenable or hardened (e.g. cured) composition can provide various technical effects such as a delayed release of a basic core material, a delayed increase in basicity, promoting remineralization of a tooth or bone structure, and increasing the average alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of pulp cells. In some embodiments, the composition is a dental (e.g. sealant) composition for application to a tooth structure.

The present invention relates to: composition for differentiating non-dental mesenchymal stem cells into odontoblasts comprising CPNE7 protein or gene; method for differentiating in vitro non-dental mesenchymal stem cells using the same; and also use thereof.

Provided are dental articles, and methods of making articles, having an aesthetic inorganic coating based on zirconia at least partially stabilized with yttrium oxide, calcium oxide, cerium oxide, or magnesium oxide. Stabilized zirconia coatings were found to provide a smooth, low friction surface having high abrasion resistance. These coatings are particularly applicable to orthodontic appliances. While virgin stabilized zirconia coatings can often have an undesirable color cast, it was discovered that this color cast can be substantially eliminated by heat treating the coated appliance in an oxygenated environment. The combination of depositing a stabilized zirconia coating and subsequently heat treating to decolorize the coating provides a surprisingly robust, stable, low-friction coating that is also aesthetic.

Non-aqueous, hydraulic cement-forming compositions comprise a non-aqueous mixture of (a) a non-hydrated powder composition comprising calcium aluminate powder, and (b) non-aqueous water-miscible liquid. Hardened cements are formed from such hydraulic cement-forming compositions, and methods of producing hardened cements, kits, and articles of manufacture employ such hydraulic cement-forming compositions.

Non-aqueous hydraulic cement compositions comprise a non-aqueous mixture of (a) a non-hydrated powder composition comprising calcium silicate powder or calcium aluminate powder, and (b) non-aqueous water-miscible liquid. Hardened cements are formed from such hydraulic cement compositions, and methods of producing hardened cements, kits, and articles of manufacture employ such hydraulic cement compositions.