Restorative dental glass-ceramics: Current status and trends

Abstract

Most restorative dental materials are inert and biocompatible and are used in the restoration and reconstruction of teeth. Among them, glass-ceramics (GCs) are of great importance because they are easy to process and have outstanding esthetics, translucency, low thermal conductivity, high strength, chemical durability, biocompatibility, wear resistance, and hardness similar to that of natural teeth. However, research and development are still underway to further improve their mechanical properties and esthetics to enable them to compete with their current contenders (e.g., zirconia and hybrids) for posterior restorations. Throughout this chapter, we summarize the processing, properties, and applications of restorative dental glass-ceramics. Current commercial dental glass-ceramics are explained, and also selected papers that address promising types of dental glassceramics are reviewed. Finally, we include trends on relevant open issues and research possibilities.