The Dental Materials and Dental Chemistry Laboratory carries out biochemical and chemical analyses of materials and biomaterials and enzymatic analyses on tissues and biological liquids.

Equipment and analyses carried out in the Laboratory:

• Tissues and Biologic Fluid Enzymatic Determinations
  
  
• Alcaline Phosphatase (ALP)
  
  
• Acid Phosphatase (ACP)
  
  
• Tartrate Resistano Acid Phosphatase (TRAP)
  
  
• Aspartate Aminotrans Ferasi (AST)
  
  
• Lactate Demydrogenase (LDH)
  
  
• Phosphodiesterase (PDEs)
  
  
• Cyclase (G-Case A-Case)
  
  

Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)

Differential Thermal Analysis is a technique based on the thermodynamic balance of sample transformations induced by temperature variations

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG)

The Thermogravimetric Analysis is a new technique that studies the mass changes of a solid sample in function of the temperature, that can be changed using a specific program; therefore this technique is based on physical properties.

HPLC

High Resolution Liquid Chromatography

The HPLC is an instrument made up of an electromagnetic radioactive source (infrared, visible or ultraviolet); a monochromator for the selection of the wavelength; a sample taker; a photoelectric transducer; an electronic amplifier with a linear - logarithmic converter and a display or a video-recorder.

SPECTROPHOTOMETER

Thanks to the spectrophotometry, it is possible to estimate the characteristic of substances in solution that have the quality to absorb radiations coming from the side of the electromagnetic spectrum included between infrared and ultraviolet. This electronic device permits to obtain the absorption spectrum of a substance, in fact it is a graphic of the intensity of the absorbed radiation depending on wavelength.

pH-meter

A pH meter is an electronic instrument used to measure the pH *

Electrophoresis

Electrophoresis is the movement of an electrically charged substance under the influence of an electric field;

 


Flux Calorimeter

Thanks to the measurement of thermic flux and temperature, this tool allows to calculate the following physical measures:

• Specific Heat Capacity;
  
  
• Thermal Conductivity;
  
  
• Temperature of evaporation and sublimation;
  
  
• Vapour pressure;
  
  
• Coefficient of liquids expansion;
  
  
• Heat of solution and heat of chemical reaction;
  
  

Research fields;

COMPOSITES:

Efficacy and completeness of polymerization depend on a series of factors :

• Filling particles dimension;
  
  
• Composite resin color translucency;
  
  
• Power and intensity of the light source;
  
  
• Time and distance of irradiation;
  
  
• Direction of the light beam;
  
  
• Layer thickness of the material to be polymerized;
  
  
• Juxtaposition of dental structures

Our researches are oriented to:

• Comparison among the several composite brands on trade, in order to test their quality;
  
  
• Analysis of the different grade and time of polymerization;
  
  
• Comparison among different kinds of lamps;
  
  
• Colorimetric evaluations
  
  

GUTTA PERCHA

Gutta percha is the most widely used material in root canal obturation because of its relative inertness, lack of toxicity and biocompatibility.

Our research is oriented to:

• Evaluate the quantity and the quality of the gutta percha (α e β) that can be found in several products on trade for the endodontic treatment;
  
  
• Determine the thermogravimetrical ed entalpic reaction of the new product and to deduct the crystalline composition from this point.
  
  
• Process the materials to cycles of heat that can simulate the clinical conditions during the obturation and determine their effects

BURS

We evaluate the morphological and mechanical quality of the burs:

1. Morphological evaluation at SEM (new samples)

2. Evaluation of the centricity of burs
   
   
3. Analysis of loading at the dynamometer
   
   
4. Thermogravimetric Analysis TG/DTA
   
   
5. Morphological evaluation at SEM (treated samples)

Photo 5: Graphic of the charge at dynamometer

Photo 6: Graphic TG-DTA

Photos 7 and 8: Images at SEM

ROOT CANAL CLEENERS

We are doing research also on:

• Root Canal Cement
  
  
• Nano-apatite
  
  
• Bone