Introduction to Dental
Materials
Mohammad AL-Rabab’ah
Assistant Professor-Department of Conservative Dentistry
BDS, Statutory exam (UK), MFD RCS Ire, MRD RCS Ed, PhD.
(Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics)
• malrababah@ju.edu.jo
AIM
• To give a brief introduction about the
science of dental materials (DM)
Objectives
• To give a simplified definition of science of
DMs.
• To give a brief history of DMs
development.
• To convince you of the importance of DMs
science.
• To introduce major categories and clinical
applications
Definition
• An interdisciplinary area that applies
biology, chemistry, and physics to the
development, understanding, and
evaluation of materials used in the practice
of dentistry; principally involved in
restorative dentistry, prosthodontics,
pedodontics, and orthodontics.
Physics
DENTAL
MATERIALS
SCIENCE
Chemistry
Biology
‫‪age‬‬
‫‪• Middle‬‬
‫الزهراوي‬
‫الرازي‬
History of DM
Early history:
• Gold structure of the Phoenicians.
Phoenician Dental Art by Don Clawson. Berytus
Archaeological Studies
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/geoghist/histories/oldcivilization/phoenicia/
denistry/dentstry.html
• Hippocrates used gold wire ligature.
• Filling of carious teeth involved use of Lint,
Lead
• Cadaver or animal teeth used for
replacement!
Renaissance and enlightenment age:
• Lost wax technique by Benvenuto Cellini
1558 Fonzi: Porcelain teeth
• Taveau: first to prepare amalgam
(Silver paste).
• The American Journal of Dental Sciences
1839.
Why we need to study DM?
• Hyena
OR
Crocuta Crocuta
With its teeth Hyena can crush the prey bone and chew
them up into abite-sized pieces.!!!
• But what about
human teeth
- Oral environment
* Temperature
* Saliva and fluids
* Micro-organisms
* Occlusal forces
Why we need to study DM
Why we need to replace
missing tooth
structure/ teeth
• Appearance
• Function
• Any other reasons?
• So why we
need to study
DM?!