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.