Dental Materials Glossary

The volumetric contraction that occurs when dental resin-based materials transition from monomer to polymer during curin...

An addition-reaction silicone elastomeric impression material renowned for its dimensional stability, detail reproductio...

The artificial tooth unit in a fixed dental prosthesis (bridge) that spans the edentulous space and is not directly supp...

The presence of voids or pores within a set dental material, which can arise from inadequate mixing, entrapment of air,...

A temporary crown, bridge, or inlay fabricated to protect a prepared tooth and maintain aesthetics and occlusion while a...

The property of a dental material that causes it to appear lighter (more opaque) than surrounding tooth structure or sof...

A resin-based luting material used to bond indirect ceramic, metal, or composite restorations to tooth structure, relyin...

A finger-like projection of cured adhesive resin that extends into a dentine tubule, contributing to micromechanical ret...

A hybrid restorative material combining conventional glass ionomer chemistry with resin monomers to improve physical pro...

The study of the flow and deformation behaviour of dental materials, particularly relevant to impression materials, ceme...

The dimensional increase that occurs in a dental material as it transitions from a plastic to a rigid set state, commonl...

The elapsed time from the start of mixing a dental material to the point at which it achieves sufficient rigidity for cl...

A standardised colour-matching tool used in dentistry to select the appropriate colour (shade) for restorative materials...

A surface-treatment process in which a silane coupling agent is applied to ceramic or glass-filler surfaces to promote c...

A high-temperature thermal process used to densify and fully crystallise pre-sintered ceramic blanks—particularly zircon...

A thin layer of grinding debris—comprising disrupted collagen, hydroxyapatite crystals, and oral bacteria—deposited on a...

The mass of a dental material that dissolves or disintegrates per unit surface area when immersed in a standardised aque...

The accelerated degradation of a dental material resulting from the synergistic action of mechanical stress and corrosiv...

The excess energy at the surface of a dental material compared to its bulk, expressed in millijoules per square metre (m...

A quantitative measure of the microscopic texture of a material's surface, expressed as an average roughness value (Ra),...

Surface discolouration of a metallic dental restoration caused by chemical reaction with oral compounds such as sulfides...

Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate; a low-viscosity diluent monomer added to dental composite resin formulations to reduc...

A property of certain dental materials whereby viscosity decreases under mechanical stress (such as mixing or syringing)...

A high-strength, low-expansion alpha-hemihydrate dental stone used for die fabrication in fixed prosthodontics, as class...