Metal-containing methacrylates incorporated into polymeric materials with antimicrobial capacity for biomedical applications, and more particularly for dental purposes, are provided. The incorporation of metal-containing methacrylates such as calcium methacrylate, tin methacrylate, copper methacrylate, silver methacrylate, in combination or alone, for potentializing antimicrobial effect of cements, in particular, to biomaterial compositions including metal containing methacrylates, such as calcium, tin, copper, silver, nickel, titanium and iron methacrylates, in the formulation of biomaterials for applications in human health provides advantages, particularly in dentistry, and allows for expressive antimicrobial activity to dental compositions, so as to be useful in dental prosthesis, operative dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, implantodontics, and endodontics.

Metal-containing methacrylates incorporated into polymeric materials with antimicrobial capacity for biomedical applications, and more particularly for dental purposes, are provided. The incorporation of metal-containing methacrylates such as calcium methacrylate, tin methacrylate, copper methacrylate, silver methacrylate, in combination or alone, for potentializing antimicrobial effect of cements, in particular, to biomaterial compositions including metal containing methacrylates, such as calcium, tin, copper, silver, nickel, titanium and iron methacrylates, in the formulation of biomaterials for applications in human health provides advantages, particularly in dentistry, and allows for expressive antimicrobial activity to dental compositions, so as to be useful in dental prosthesis, operative dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, implantodontics, and endodontics.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dental glass ionomer cement composition having high safety to a human body and sufficient working time, in which mechanical properties, mixing ability in hand mixing and dischargeability out of a container after mechanical kneading are simultaneously improved with satisfactory balance compared with the prior art. Disclosed is a dental glass ionomer cement composition including 0.001 to 3% by weight of (a) a polysaccharide nanofiber having an aspect ratio of 100 or more and an average fiber diameter of 100 nm or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dental glass ionomer cement composition having high safety to a human body and sufficient working time, in which mechanical properties, mixing ability in hand mixing and dischargeability out of a container after mechanical kneading are simultaneously improved with satisfactory balance compared with the prior art. Disclosed is a dental glass ionomer cement composition including 0.001 to 3% by weight of (a) a polysaccharide nanofiber having an aspect ratio of 100 or more and an average fiber diameter of 100 nm or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dental glass ionomer cement composition having high safety to a human body and sufficient working time, in which mechanical properties, mixing ability in hand mixing and dischargeability out of a container after mechanical kneading are simultaneously improved with satisfactory balance compared with the prior art. Disclosed is a dental glass ionomer cement composition including 0.001 to 3% by weight of (a) a polysaccharide nanofiber having an aspect ratio of 100 or more and an average fiber diameter of 100 nm or less.

Radically polymerizable dental material which contains at least one compound of Formulae I to III:

##STR00001##

The material preferably additionally contains a radically polymerizable monomer, an initiator for the radical polymerization and filler. It is characterized in particular by a low polymerization contraction stress.

Radically polymerizable dental material which contains at least one compound of Formulae I to III:

##STR00001##

The material preferably additionally contains a radically polymerizable monomer, an initiator for the radical polymerization and filler. It is characterized in particular by a low polymerization contraction stress.

Dental composition comprising (a) a homogeneous phase comprising monomer combinations (i) and (ii), (i) and (iii), (ii) and (iii), or (i), (ii) and (iii), or comprising monomer (iii), wherein (i) represents one or more compounds having one or more radically polymerizable carbon-carbon double bonds; (ii) represents one or more compounds having one or more cationically polymerizable groups; and (iii) represents one or more compounds having a combination of one or more radically polymerizable carbon-carbon double bonds and one or more cationically polymerizable groups; (b) an initiator system comprising (iv) one or more radical polymerization initiator of the following formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein M is Ge or Si; R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be the same or different, independently represent an organic group, and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, an organic or organometallic group; provided that when R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, the initiator system further comprises a sensitizer compound having a light absorption maximum in the range from 300 to 600 nm; (v) a cationic polymerization initiator, which is a compound selected from the following formula (II), (III) and (IV): ##STR00002##
wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, which may be the same or different, independently represent an aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion; ##STR00003##
wherein R.sup.7, R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 which may be the same or different, independently represent an aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion; ##STR00004## R.sup.10, R.sup.11, R.sup.12, and R.sup.13 which may be the same or different, independently represent an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion.

Dental composition comprising (a) a homogeneous phase comprising monomer combinations (i) and (ii), (i) and (iii), (ii) and (iii), or (i), (ii) and (iii), or comprising monomer (iii), wherein (i) represents one or more compounds having one or more radically polymerizable carbon-carbon double bonds; (ii) represents one or more compounds having one or more cationically polymerizable groups; and (iii) represents one or more compounds having a combination of one or more radically polymerizable carbon-carbon double bonds and one or more cationically polymerizable groups; (b) an initiator system comprising (iv) one or more radical polymerization initiator of the following formula (I): ##STR00001##
wherein M is Ge or Si; R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may be the same or different, independently represent an organic group, and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, an organic or organometallic group; provided that when R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom, the initiator system further comprises a sensitizer compound having a light absorption maximum in the range from 300 to 600 nm; (v) a cationic polymerization initiator, which is a compound selected from the following formula (II), (III) and (IV): ##STR00002##
wherein R.sup.5 and R.sup.6, which may be the same or different, independently represent an aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion; ##STR00003##
wherein R.sup.7, R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 which may be the same or different, independently represent an aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion; ##STR00004## R.sup.10, R.sup.11, R.sup.12, and R.sup.13 which may be the same or different, independently represent an alkyl or aryl group which may have a substituent; and Y.sup.− represents an anion.

A dental filling material or precursor thereof for use in therapy, which material comprises lithium and is capable of releasing lithium under physiological conditions.