Wear performance of antibacterial dental composite with Salvadora persica extract and hydroxyapatite as fillers

Abstract The characterization of S. persica (Salvadora persica) extract, which involved evaluating its antibacterial activity, demonstrated the extract's strong efficacy. Additionally, incorporating it into PMMA/HA showcased the composite's good antibacterial activity. The objective of this work is to evaluate how the incorporation of S. persica extract affects the wear resistance of the dental composite PMMA/HA, considering the critical importance of wear resistance in dental applications. The wear response of this biocomposite was tested against an Alumina ball using a pin‐on‐disc tribometer. Initially, the hydroxyapatite (HA) micro particles demonstrate a remarkable influence on wear behavior when incorporated at an optimal percentage (10%wt). This optimal inclusion rate not only significantly increases the wear rate but also instigates a shift in the wear mechanism, favoring abrasive wear while minimizing adhesive wear comparing to PMMA. The addition of the extract nanoparticles to the composite PMMA/HA decreases the wear rate except the composite containing 10 wt% of each filler. Additionally, it introduces adhesive wear, in addition to the existing fatigue and abrasion wear. Thus, the composite PMMA/HA could accommodate up to 10 wt% of the S. persica extract as the optimal percentage that provides antibacterial activity to this biocomposite without exhibiting a deterioration in wear performance. Highlights The evaluation of the effect of incorporating S. persica extract, which provides antibacterial activity, on the wear resistance of the PMMA/HA dental composite generally demonstrates a reduction in this property. The addition of S. persica extract introduces adhesive wear in addition to the fatigue and abrasion wear already present in the PMMA/HA composite. The composite PMMA/HA can accommodate up to 10 wt% of S. persica extract without compromising its wear performance.