Smart composites — The new era in smart dentistry

Abstract

The current dental materials were improvised to make them smarter. The use of these smart materials such as, smart ceramics, smart composites, amorphous calcium phosphate releasing pit and fissure sealants, compomers, resin-modified glass ionomer, etc. and other materials such as smart impression material, orthodontic shape memory alloys, smart suture, smart burs, etc. Has revolutionized dentistry. The quest for an ideal restorative material leads to the discovery of a newer generation of materials in dentistry which is called as smart materials. These materials are called smart as they can be altered in a controlled fashion by stimulus such as stress, temperature, pH, moisture, electric or magnetic field. These smart materials hold future in terms of improved efficiency and mark the beginning of a new generation or era in Smart dentistry. The objective of this review article is to review about smart materials and its classification, dental composite resin and its historical background, smart composites, smart monochromatic composite.