An Introduction to Dental Materials

Here is a long awaited new edition in this essential area for all dental students. This textbook considers the properties and applications of dental materials and includes all the necessary basic science and clinical applications. Virtually all procedures in restorative dentistry make use of a dental material. Among these materials are metals, ceramics, polymers and composites, and their uses include filling of cavities and root canals and the making of impressions or replicas of teeth and tissues prior to the constructions of dentures. All dental students need to acquire a working knowledge of both the properties and applications of the materials which they will use. The very broad spectrum of materials now available leaves the dental student with even less time than in the past to understand the technology of dental materials. The emphasis now is on communication with the dental laboratory, and on how to recognise whether the laboratory is producing quality output. The new edition will reflect these changes.