Choosing the Right Dental Material

Dental material can be divided into different categories, including:

• Metals: This includes “noble” metals (gold, silver, and platinum-group metals) and base metals.

• Ceramics: Feldspathic ceramics, glass-ceramics, infiltrated ceramics, and polycrystalline ceramics. Subtractive manufacturing allows all types of ceramics to be milled, both for aesthetic and structural rehabilitation, using CAD/CAM systems (computer-aided design and manufacturing software).

• Resins: Resins are mainly made from PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). PMMA is obtained through the polymerization of methyl methacrylate monomer.

• Composites: Composites are mixtures of synthetic materials that acquire a hardness similar to that of a human tooth when exposed to intense light. They are the same color as teeth.

• Amalgams: Amalgams are made from a mixture of mercury and a metal alloy, usually silver. They have a silvery color.

• Dental cements: There are various types of dental cements, most of which are made from zinc oxide. Glass ionomer and gutta-percha cements are also available. They are the same color as teeth.

• Impression materials: These materials are used to take impressions of teeth to make a model. These materials include alginates, plasters, silicones, waxes, and certain dental cements.

Interdent titanium dental material

Acteon dental resin

Vladmiva dental composite

LASCOD dental cement

Nordiska Dental dental amalgam

Materials can also be classified according to the following categories:

• Material origin: Mineral, organic, or mixed.
• Soft-tissue contact: Temporary, long-term, or short-term.

Dental materials are used in virtually every sector of the dental industry, from dental practices to laboratories.

• Dental practices:
  • Dental restoration: To repair or replace damaged teeth.
  • Dental prophylaxis: To maintain healthy teeth and prevent dental diseases.
  • Endodontics: For root canal treatment.

• Dental laboratories:
  • Dental modeling: For manufacturing models and prostheses used in dental treatments.. This can be done through two digital techniques: 3D printing and CAD/CAM.
  • Implantology: For manufacturing dental implants.

Each type of dental material has its own specific characteristics and offers several advantages and, at times, disadvantages.

• Metals: These are mainly used in CAD/CAM for manufacturing implants and dental prostheses.
  • Composition: Titanium (Ti) or Cobalt-chromium (CoCr).
  • Advantages: Good biocompatibility and high mechanical strength.

• Ceramics: These are mainly used in dental restorations, notably for manufacturing crowns.
  • Composition: Zirconia or glass-ceramic.
  • Advantages: Excellent aesthetic properties with a shade and appearance similar to those of natural teeth.

• Resins: These are commonly used for dental modeling and denture manufacture (not to be confused with composite resins). Depending on the application, there are white, pink, and transparent resins available.
  • Composition: PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate).
  • Advantages: They are easy to handle and very aesthetically pleasing.
  • Disadvantages: They wear and tarnish quickly.

• Composites (or composite resins): Used in dental restoration, notably for fillings. They have become the alternative of choice to amalgams. They have a wide variety of applications in both anterior and posterior teeth.
  • Composition: There are different types of composite resins, including liquid, universal, self-curing, Bulk Fill, those used for aesthetic treatments, posterior teeth and for orthodontics.
  • Advantages: Composites can be used directly on the tooth. These materials are highly adhesive and highly resistant to wear.
  • Disadvantages: Some may be toxic to the tooth pulp.

• Amalgams: These are mainly used for permanent fillings, particularly for treating cavities.
  • Composition: Amalgams are composed of mercury and a silver alloy.
  • Advantages: Easy to use, resistant, durable, and inexpensive.
  • Disadvantages: They are considered unattractive due to their silver color, and can potentially present health risks due to the mercury in their composition.

• Dental cements: Mainly used as a base layer for cavity treatment, as a temporary filling material, or as a bonding agent for dental prostheses (also known as dental glue or adhesive).
  • Composition: Zinc oxide, glass ionomer, or gutta-percha.
  • Advantages: Dental cements are hermetic, analgesic, and antiseptic.

• Impression materials: Specifically used in restorative dentistry to make dental impressions.
  • Composition: Alginates, plasters, silicones, dental cements (particularly for fixing temporary restorations).
  • Advantages: All these materials offer high dimensional stability, ease of use for the dentist, and good strength and elasticity.

Dental materials come in two main forms: solid and liquid.

In solid form, they can be found as a paste, powder, disc, or block. Their appearance and color vary depending on the application and the type of material used.

There are several potential risks associated with the use of dental materials, such as:

• Patient intolerance to dental metals.

• Galvanic corrosion in the oral cavity.

• Toxicity of certain chemical compounds: Particularly with mercury, which is used to make dental amalgams. In theory, once mixed with other materials, mercury loses its toxicity due to changes in its chemical nature, rendering it harmless. A great deal of research has been carried out on this topic, but it is still difficult to prove that dental amalgams cause real health problems.