Table Of ContentMat erials Used
in Dent ist ry
Ma t e ria ls Use d
in De nt ist ry
Senior Commissioning Editor: P. Sangeetha
Managing Editor: Dr. Binny Mathur
Production Editor: Divya Ganesan
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Copyright © 2013 by Wolters Kluwer Health (India)
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All rights reserved. T is book is protected by copyright. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or
by any means, including photocopying, or utilized by any information storage and retrieval system without writ-
ten permission from the copyright owner.
T e publisher is not responsible (as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise) for any injury resulting
from any material contained herein. T is publication contains information relating to dental materials and their
clinical applications that should not be construed as specifi c instructions for individual patients. Manufacturers’
product information and package inserts should be reviewed for current information, including contraindications,
dosages, and preca utions. All produc ts/b rands/na mes/processes ci ted in this book are the properties of their
respective owners. Reference herein to any specifi c commercial products, processes, or services by trade name,
trademark, man ufacturer, or otherwise is pur ely for academ ic purposes and does not con stitute or imply
endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by th e publisher. T e views a nd opinions of aut hors expressed
herein do not necessarily state or refl ect those of the publisher, and shall not be used for advertising or product
endorsement purposes.
Care has been taken to confi rm the accuracy of the information presented and to describe generally accepted
practices. However, the authors, editors, and publishers are not responsible for errors or omissions or for any
consequences arising from application of the information in this bo ok and make no warranty, expressed or
implied, with respect to the currency, completeness, or accuracy of the contents of the publication. Application
of this information in a particular situation remains the professional responsibility of the practitioner. Readers
are urged to confi rm that the information, especially with regard to drug dose/usage, complies with current
legislation and standards of practice. Please consult full prescribing information before issuing prescription for
any product mentioned in the publication.
T e publishers have made every e ort to trace copyright holders for borrowed material. If they have inadvertently
overlooked any, they will be pleased to make the necessary arrangeme nts at the fi rst opportunity.
First Edition, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-81-8473-510-9
Published by Wolters Kluwer (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.
Printed and bound at Sanat Printers, Haryan a.
Here is a fundamental book on dental materials for dentists “with a di(cid:0) erence.” Dentists are clinical
scientists who handle a plethora of dental materials in their day-to-day practice. A thorough knowl-
edge of the physics, chemistry, and biological reactivity of these materials is necessary for their
optimal use and application in clinical practice.
T is book is an attempt to handle this complex subject in a simplifi ed manner for better under-
standing. Good illustrations, diagrams, photographs, and appropriately incorporated fl owcharts
make it an ideal foundation for budding dentists. T ough it is focussed primarily for use by graduate
students, the book promises to be an interesting and inspiring reference text for postgraduate stu-
dents as well because of its updated content on recent advances and latest techniques.
T e entire subject is systematically organized and the chapters are classifi ed into appropriate sub-
headings which would enable the students to approach their topic of choice with ease.
T e chapter on biomaterials traces the evolution of materials over the past fi ve decades and high-
lights the newer generations which use application of tissue engineering and nanotechnology. T e
recent generation of biomaterials mimics nature and is bioinert, making these materials safe to the
adjoining tissues, and at the same time is bioresorbable, to be replaced suitably by superior native
tissue. T e advent of bioactive materials has been emphasized well in this book; these materials
are found helpful in regenerating lost or even diseased tissue.
Restorative materials have been classifi ed as direct and indirect with necessary updates, based on
their properties and uses. Both traditional and recent materials are discussed in detail. Direct fi lling
gold, which is often neglected in textbooks, fi nds its place under direct restorative materials. T e
chapter on indirect restorative and implant materials provides details about casting alloys, indirect
composites, and dental ceramics, with a special mention of implant materials, which are “en vogue.”
Here, I would reiterate that restorative dentistry has taken a turn for the good—from a past when the
tooth was being modifi ed to suit the material to the present when the material is modifi ed to suit the
tooth.
Auxiliary materials and techniques are handled extensively in one section, which deals exclusively
with materials used in the dental laboratory, with the exception of bonding agents. Also, materials
used in preventive dentistry, which form an important aspect of patient management today, are pre-
sented independently in a separate section.
Materials used in various dental specialties, such as Orthodontics, Periodontics, and Endodontics,
are smartly amalgamated into this one book, which is comprehensive. Local anesthetics and suture
materials are detailed under the section “Surgical and Periodontal Materials.” T ese additions make
this book a “stand-alone text” among its contemporaries.
T is is a multiauthor endeavor with experienced academicians and clinicians participating to cre-
ate a book on applied material sciences. It deals with almost all the common materials used in den-
tistry, obviating the need of students having to search through various specialty books for the specifi c
materials. T e appendix, on the list of books recommended, will be useful as additional information
for the students.
T is book is edited and authored by Professor Mahalaxmi, who is well known to me as a dedicated
teacher with over two and a half decades of teaching experience in dentistry. She is also an accom-
plished clinician who specializes in the use of lasers and microscopes in Endodontics. She has to her
vi Foreword
credit many national and international publications and is a frequently invited speaker at national
and international forums. She has active membership in many scientifi c groups and associations and
is also a reviewer for popular international journals. Her organizing and leadership qualities are
amply demonstrated in the publication of this comprehensive and contemporary textbook—a fantas-
tic “hybrid composite” of academics and application.
T e role of the author as an ever-learning teacher and guide is clearly evident in the student-
friendly nature of this book. Consequently, the book provides appropriate additional information,
highlights recent concepts, and includes a list of questions that are frequently asked in competitive
entrance examinations at the end of the chapters. I am sure these features will be very useful to any
student of dental science.
To summarize, I see this book as “an inspirational substructure, the fundamentals, on which to
build your dental future…”
Dr. A. Parameswaran
bsc, mds, fr sh
Former Principal
Tamilnadu Govt. Dental College & Hospital
Chennai
T e year was 1980. As a fi rst-year BDS student, thrown into the ocean of dentistry, I was totally clue-
less about the intricacies of the enormous array of dental materials being taught, not understanding
why I needed to be so thorough with so many aspects of physics, chemistry, and other disciplines I
thought I had seen the last of! It took me a couple more years, when I started using these very materi-
als clinically, to actually understand the critical importance of their properties and behavior. Probably
the seed of this book was sown then. Years later, when I really started appreciating the advantages of
di(cid:0) erent materials and respecting their drawbacks, the thought of sharing this understanding with
others started taking root within me. In course of time, this thought grew stronger in my mind and
eventually resulted in taking the shape of the present book. As Charles William Eliot observed:
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of coun-
sellors, and most patient of teachers.”
T is book endeavors to analyze and review the performance of the materials used in dentistry so
that the reader can appreciate the intricate nuances of the materials that he/she uses regularly in day-
to-day practice. T is book neither covers all the materials used in dentistry nor does it extensively
elaborate on all aspects of the materials covered. Instead, the book focusses on the basics of the most
prevalent materials in clinical practice so as to enable the clinician to make the best use of the mate-
rial in the given clinical situation.
Keeping this objective in mind, the use of the materials in some common clinical scenarios has
been discussed in considerable detail in order to clearly highlight their di(cid:0) erent ideally required
properties as well as their biocompatibility requirements. T e discussion of properties and uses is
amply supported with good-resolution photographs of the clinical steps where applicable. T e vari-
ous uses have also been illustrated so that the student can grasp the applications of the material in an
easier manner.
Another important feature of this book is the highlighted text in several chapters that helps the
students in preparing for the national postgraduate entrance examinations. Further, the book includes
relevant materials used in endodontic, preventive, periodontal, and surgical procedures so that stu-
dents can use this book for all the years of their dental training.
T e inputs in this textbook are from various eminent practitioners and specialists who have very
kindly contributed chapters on their respective areas; the credit for the salient features of this book
goes to all of them. However, any drawbacks are purely the result of my ignorance for which I take the
full responsibility.
S. Mahalaxmi
