Abstract:
The area of dental ceramic materials was revolutionized with the introduction of aesthetically more appealing, metal-free ceramic materials that can withstand chewing forces and are nowadays designed and fabricated not only in a way that marginal leakage is no longer a problem, but also with increased biocompatibility. It is generally agreed that the modern area of dental care started 15 to 20 years ago with the introduction of novel dental composite materials and zirconia ceramics for conservative and prosthetic dentistry. Furthermore, bioactive ceramic materials are now attracting interest, especially in oral surgery and endodontics. Calcium and/or aluminum silicates, bioglass and hydroxyapatite are the materials of choice.
In the present paper, the state of the art for dental ceramics used in modern clinical practice will be presented, followed by a discussion on future, potential, advanced solutions for problems related to dental ceramic materials. For example, given its high elastic modulus, some of our research work was focused on the use of advanced materials engineering to fabricate high-performance, moderately porous, zirconia dental ceramics with a lowered elastic modulus and, therefore, an increased compatibility with dentine. The zirconia`s high chemical inertness, resulting in insufficient bonding abilities, was solved by using a non-invasive, surface-functionalization technique for the application of an adhesive coating to the zirconia surface, which significantly improves the adhesive abilities, opening several options for minimally invasive dental procedures. Most recently, we have addressed the rheological and bioactive properties of commercially available MTA materials in such a way that their use could be expanded beyond dental practices specialized in endodontics.
|
