Characteristics of Hydroxyapatite/PMMA Nanocomposites for Provisional Restoration and Its Biocompatibility withHuman Gingival Fibroblasts

Objective To formulate hydroxyapatite（HA）/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composites with improved cytocompatibility for provisional restoration. Methods Nanocomposites with 20 wt%，30 wt%，40 wt%，and 50 wt% HA/PMMA (H/P) were developed and examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Human gingival fibroblasts were cultured on those HA/PMMA discs and investigated by fluorescent staining on 24 h and MTT assay at 1 d, 3 d, 5 d and 7 d. Results Chemical integration of HA/PMMA interface was confirmed by XPS. Typical fusiform cells with adhesion spots were detected on 40 wt% and 50 wt% H/P discs. MTT results showed insignificant differences in cell growth between 40 wt% H/P and pure titanium (Ti,P>0.05), while the other H/P discs showed significantly lower cell growth than pure Ti (P<0.05). Conclusion 40 wt% H/P might be a promising candidate for provisional dental implant restoration and for esthetic gingival contour.