Abstract
Dental caries remains a challenge in the improvement of oral health. It is the most common and widespread bio- film-dependent oral disease, resulting in the destruction of tooth structure by the acidic attack from cariogenic bacteria. The tooth is a heavily mineralised tissue, and both enamel and dentine can undergo demineralisation due to trauma or dietary conditions. The adult population worldwide affected by dental caries is enormous and de- spite significant advances in caries prevention and tooth restoration, treatments continue to pose a substantial burden to healthcare. Biomaterials play a vital role in the restoration of the diseased or damaged tooth structure and, despite providing reasonable outcomes, there are some concerns with clinical performance. Amalgam, the silver grey biomaterial that has been widely used as a re- storative material in dentistry, is currently in throes of be- ing phased out, especially with the Minimata convention and treaty being signed by a number of countries (Janu- ary 2013; http://mercuryconvention.org/Convention/) that aims to control the anthropogenic release of mer- cury in the environment, which naturally impacts the use of amalgam, where mercury is a component. Thus, the development of alternative restoratives and restoration methods that are inexpensive, can be used under differ- ent climatic conditions, withstand storage and allow easy handling, the main prerequisites of dental biomaterials, is important.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Biomaterials for Oral and Craniomaxillofacial Applications |
| Publisher | S. Karger AG |
| Pages | 1-12 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Volume | 7 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9783318024616, 9783318024609 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Jul 2015 |