Classification of Dental Materials: Types, Uses, and Their Role in Dentistry

Classification Of Dental Materials

Dental material science is a basic science that deals with the physical, mechanical, and biological properties of dental materials.

Classification of Dental Materials:

1. Preventive materials.
2. Restorative materials.
3. Auxiliary materials.
4. Prosthetic materials.
5. Appliance materials.
6. Biomaterials.
7. Therapeutic agents.

• Preventive materials: Preventive materials include pit and fissure sealants and other materials used to prevent the onset of dental diseases.
• Restorative materials: Restorative materials include materials used to repair or replace tooth structures. This includes materials like amalgam, composites, ceramics, cast metal structures, and denture materials.
• Auxiliary materials: Auxiliary materials are substances that aid in the fabrication process but do not actually become part of the restoration, appliance or prosthesis. This includes materials like gypsum products, impression materials, casting investments, waxes, etching gels, custom tray materials, etc.

• Prosthetic materials:  Prosthetic materials are materials used to replace missing teeth, oral and maxillofacial structures. These include the alloys, ceramics, and polymers used in fixed and removable partial denture construction and maxillofacial prostheses.
• A biomaterial: A biomaterial is a biological or synthetic substance that can be introduced into body tissue as part of an implanted medical device or used to replace an organ, or bodily function. Although many traditional materials qualify as biomaterials, this term has been introduced to include bone and tissue grafts.
• Therapeutic agents: Therapeutic agents include various chemicals, medicaments, antimicrobials, and other locally applied agents that are capable of producing a specific effect in the area to which it is applied.
• In reality, many materials have dual or multiple uses and so the above categorization is difficult to strictly apply.

Preventive Dental Materials:

• Cement, coating, or restorative material that either seal’s pits and fissures or releases therapeutic agents such as fluoride and/or mineralizing ions to prevent or arrest the demineralization of tooth structure are known as preventive dental materials.
• Preventive dental materials include pit and fissure sealants; sealing agents that prevent leakage; materials used primarily for their antibacterial effects; and liners, bases, cement, and restorative materials such as compomer, hybrid ionomer, and glass ionomer cement that are used primarily because they release fluoride or other therapeutic agents to prevent or inhibit the progression of tooth decay (dental caries).
• In some cases, a preventive material may also serve as a restorative material that may be used for a short-term application (up to several months), for moderately long time periods (1–2 years), or for longer periods (5 years or more).