Landshut/Cologne (Germany) March 07, 2013 – Glass powders provide dental fillings likes composites and similar material mixtures with outstanding stability and a very attractive appearance. SCHOTT will launch a special glass that exhibits particularly high chemical stability at the International Dental Show (IDS). It will make dental fillings last even longer and withstand all types of acidic and alkaline attacks that are experienced during the ingestion of food.
Today, dental composites are the material of choice when it comes to aesthetic tooth restoration. The stability and durability of the versatile glass-polymer mixture has constantly been improved since it was first introduced to the market more than 40 years ago. By expanding its range of dental glass powders, the international technology group SCHOTT has actively contributed to this development, as composite fillings consist of up to 80 percent high-purity glass.
The latest development is “DentalGlass Resist,” a new glass that belongs to the chemical resistance class 1. Tests involving acids, alkalic solutions and water show how this glass is literally invulnerable to attack. In fact, it is even more resistant than borosilicate glass, which is often used in various chemical laboratory applications. For this reason, this inert material for use in extremely durable dental fillings effectively resists vinegar, fruit juices or acidic oral flora – the surface of the filling remains in its original condition.
For faster curing fillings
Thanks to its high resistance to acids, this glass is also ideally suited for use in resin-reinforced glass-ionomer cements. These innovative systems normally contain an acidic formula. They cure both chemically and with the help of UV light in combination with the glass powder base. This enables them to be applied more quickly in layers at the dentist’s office. Furthermore, more fluoride can be added to the filling to prevent the development of secondary caries.
Finely ground, this special glass ensures that dental composites and resin-reinforced glass-ionomer cements resemble natural dental enamel very closely in terms of both their mechanical properties and their appearance. “DentalGlass Resist” comes with refractive indexes of 1.53 nd and 1.55 nd and is available in all standard grain sizes. In addition, fine pigment shades allow for the color of the fillings to be adjusted to match the respective tooth just perfectly, therefore they are nearly invisible.
Broad portfolio of dental glasses
The expectations of patients, dentists and health insurance companies in respect to filling materials vary considerably and are quite high. For this reason, SCHOTT invests a great deal of resources in research and in helping companies that manufacture filling materials to develop even higher-quality products. Depending on the polymer used, customers today can choose from approximately twenty different types of glasses with refractive indexes of between 1.47 nd and 1.83 nd, including several glasses that even offer enhanced radiopacity.
SCHOTT DentalGlass resist: Finely ground, this glass of the chemical resistance class 1 is perfectly suited as a filling material for extremely long-lasting dental composites and resin-reinforced glass-ionomer elements. Photo: SCHOTT
Dental composite: dental fillings based on dental composites are cured in a matter of seconds using light. This material’s properties are similar to natural teeth due to its high proportion of up to 80 percent glass powder. Photo: SCHOTT
Dental composite: (1.) After it has cooled down, glass is ground during a multi-step process. (2.) Grain sizes significantly smaller than one micrometer can be achieved with SCHOTT UltraFine technology. (3.) The dental composite consists of up to 80 percent glass powder and a liquid polymer mixture. (4.) Fine pigment shades make it possible to individually adjust it to match existing tooth material. (5.) Light that is applied with the help of glass fiber rods is normally used to cure composites. Photo: SCHOTT
Glass powder from SCHOTT: dental fillings made of glass powder and polymers have largely replaced amalgam fillings that contain mercury. SCHOTT supplies leading manufacturers of high-quality dental composites all over the world with glass powder. Source: Foto
Manufacturing a dental composite: SCHOTT melts well over 100 different types of glass for use in various applications, 20 of which are used in dentistry. Photo: SCHOTT
Manufacturing a dental composite: fine pigment shades allow for the color of the fillings to be adjusted to match the color of the natural tooth just perfectly. Photo: SCHOTT
Manufacturing a dental composite: light that is applied using glass fiber rods like the ones SCHOTT manufactures is generally used to cure composites. In the process, the glass powder uses polymerization shrinkage and offers outstanding mechanical and optical qualities. Photo: SCHOTT
