Clinical Applications of Dental Materials

Dental materials are special products designed for usage in dentistry. Various types of dental materials are used in dentistry and characteristics of these materials vary based on their intended purpose. Generally utilized dental materials include temporary dressings, cements, impression materials, lining materials and restorative materials. Temporary dressings are interim materials used as dental fillings, which are not meant to last long and have therapeutic properties, such as zinc oxide eugenol. Common usage of temporary dressing is done in root canal procedure, which is completed in more than one appointment. Dental cements are utilized majorly for indirect restorations, like binding crowns to the natural surface of the tooth. Materials that are used generally as dental cements include zinc oxide cement, zinc polycarboxylate cement, zinc phosphate cement, resin-based cement, glass ionomer cement and copper-based cement. Impression materials are used for obtaining negative imprints of soft tissues and teeth, which are used for casting positive representation. This book unravels the recent studies on dental materials. It will help new researchers by foregrounding their knowledge on the clinical applications of dental materials.