Supramolecular Self-Healing Antifouling Coating for Dental Materials

In orthodontic treatment, orthodontic appliances are prone to bacterial infections, which pose a risk to oral health. Surface modification of orthodontic appliances has been explored to improve their antifouling properties and impart antibacterial capabilities, inhibiting initial bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. However, coatings are susceptible to damage in the complex oral environment, leading to a loss of functionality. Here, we have prepared an antifouling self-healing coating based on supramolecular bonding by employing a simple spin coating method. The presence of the hydrophilic zwitterionic trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and the hydrophobic antimicrobial moieties triclosan acrylate (TCSA) imparts to the polymers an amphiphilic structure and enhances the interaction with bacteria, resulting in excellent antimicrobial activity and surface antifouling properties. The multiple hydrogen bonds of ureido-pyrimidinone methacrylate (UPyMA) and ionic interactions contained in the polymers not only increased the adhesion of the coating to the material substrate (approximately 3 times) but also endowed the coating with the intrinsic self-healing ability to restore the antibiofouling properties at oral temperature and humidity. Finally, the polymer coating is biologically safe both in vitro and in vivo, showing no cytotoxic effects on cells and tissues. This research offers a promising avenue for improving the performance of orthodontic appliances and contributes to the maintenance and treatment of oral health.