Innovation: 1. A facile and low economic silica precursor pathway from sodium metasilicate and plant-derived silica, e.g., rice husk, rice hull, algal biomass etc. to prepare bioactive glass 2. Encapsulation of the silica and all other reacting constituents in citric acid prior to burning out to form the fluoride-containing bioactive glass in one step 3. Inclusion of various ions, such as Sr2+, Zn2+ and Mg2+ to upregulate apatite nucleation and cause remineralisation with good mechanical characteristics of the affected dentine.

Sector/Industry Application: Health

Description: Dental caries has been reported to be the single most prevalent chronic condition globally, affecting slightly over a third of the world’s population. The aim of this work was, therefore, to develop a locally sourced and economical cheaper fluoride-containing bioactive glass dentifrice for use in dental remineralisation and oral hygiene. Therefore, in this work, silica (SiO2), the bioglass (BG) network former was obtained from sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3.9H2O), an economic precursor than the traditional silicon alkoxide; tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) by hydrolysing the Na2SiO3.9H2O with an acid to form a gel. Soluble impurities in the gel network structure were removed through a water-washing before aging at room temperature and dried to form SiO2. Thereafter, the SiO2 and other glass constituents were uniquely encapsulated by citric acid, then burnt at 800oC to liberate the fluoride-containing bioactive glass as an active toothpaste ingredient. The physicochemical properties of the toothpaste were compared with commercially available brands in the Nigerian market. The microstructural transformation of the fluoride-containing BG before and after incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF) for the 7-, 14- and 28-day incubation periods indicated the formation of hydroxyapatite (HA), a biomarker for bioactivity. HA nucleating ability of the sample increased linearly with immersion duration, indicating the potential to mineralise and seal up dental tubules in dental intervention. The pH and weight loss data of the experimental toothpaste when compared with commercial brands showed better outcomes in terms of the potential of retarding dental loss, while providing optimum abrasion properties. A fluoride-containing bioactive glass dentifrice where the glass was obtained through a novel sol-gel route by using sodium metasilicate instead of the traditional tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) silica precursor was successfully obtained. The citric acid encapsulation route developed herein is facile and economical and can be upscaled for fluoride-containing bioactive glass dentifrices.

Problem: To develop a locally sourced and economical cheaper fluoride-containing bioactive glass dentifrice for use in dental remineralisation and oral hygiene against periodontal diseases, such as dental caries and tooth hypersensitivity.