Calcium phosphate crystals, as the main component of dentin and enamel, have been widely used for the occlusion of dentinal tubules. However, the low bond strength and poor sealing effect limit their clinical practicality. In this study, a
collagen/
calcium dual-affinitive
peptide E8DS (EEEEEEEEDSpESpSpEEDR) and nano-
hydroxyapatite (nano-HAp) flocculi were developed to seal dentin tubules for reducing
dentin hypersensitivity, whereas the E8DS
peptides were pre-applied to improve the adhesion of occlusive
hydroxyapatite coating on dentin
collagen matrix for the long-lasting sealing effect and relief from
hypersensitivity. Our study showed that E8DS
peptides had a strong affinity with dentin collageneous matrix that almost 43.7% of initial E8DS
peptides immobilized on exposed dentin samples remained detained after continuous washing by distilled water for four weeks at a rate of 1 mL/min. Nano-HAp flocculi were obtained by re-neutralization of HAp-HCl
solution and then brushed onto the surfaces of pre-treated human dentin disks with E8DS
peptides, which showed a perfect occlusion of exposed dentinal tubules, as compared with Nano-HAp only and a commercial desensitizer,
Green Or. With only around 10-min E8DS
peptide pre-treatment, the occlusive
mineral layers remained intact against consecutively stirred washing in
phosphate-buffered saline or
coke for 15 min, and 6 min of tooth-brushing, which implied that our E8DS
peptide could comparatively improve the durability of sealant-dentin interface bonds for long-lasting dentine desensitization.