Femtosecond laser-induced micro/nanostructures loaded with silver nanoparticles on clear aligner prevent bacterial infection

Femtosecond laser-induced micro/nanostructures loaded with silver nanoparticles on clear aligner prevent bacterial infection | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Femtosecond laser-induced micro/nanostructures loaded with silver nanoparticles on clear aligner prevent bacterial infection Mengyu Li, Cuiyu Liu, Kaixin Wang, Cunhui Fan, Qian Yang, Yang Zhao, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8755746/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: Controlling biofilm formation is crucial for maintaining aesthetically healthy teeth during clear alignertreatment. In this study, we use a femtosecond laser to prepare porous micro/nanostructures on the surface of invisible aligner for loading silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to create an anticarie aligner. Methods: Femtosecond laser technology was used to fabricate Porous micro-nanostructures on invisible aligner, after which the micro-nanostructures were loaded with green synthesized silver nanoparticles. Physical properties, chemical properties, antimicrobial properties against S. mutans , and biocompatibility were evaluated. Results: Laser treatment significantly increased the wettability of the aligner (water contact angle reduced from 86.5°to 38.7° p < 0.05), while preserving salivary absorption rate and flexural elastic moduli. In addition, the results of in vitro antimicrobial tests showed that the laser/Ag group had a high inhibition rate of 62.89% against Streptococcus mutans. All treatment groups exhibited excellent biocompatibility with both mouse fibroblast (L-929) and human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells. Significance: Our strategy provides a promising avenue for improving the antimicrobial properties of invisible orthodontic appliances. Laser treatment help aligners to load more silver nanoparticles while having no adverse effect on the physicochemical properties of clear aligner. This innovative drug delivery platform demonstrates versatile applicability with broad material compatibility for hydrophilic nano-antimicrobials, establishing a clinically translatable framework for orthodontic infection control. Femtosecond lasers Micro/nanostructures Ag nanoparticles Invisible aligners Antibacterial Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 07 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 18 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 18 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 24 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 05 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 03 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 01 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8755746","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":596694337,"identity":"cab9da45-1afd-4717-b710-54f18b9e4343","order_by":0,"name":"Mengyu Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Department of Orthodontics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mengyu","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":596694338,"identity":"a446bf3a-9f0f-4b5b-8545-f7629e1976e5","order_by":1,"name":"Cuiyu Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Department of Pediatric 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