Selection of Dental Biomaterials

Question 1

Define biomaterial

Answer 1

Any natural or synthetic material that interfaces with living or biological tissues.

Question 2

What are the 3 main systems that materials are dispensed as?

Answer 2

• Powder and liquid
• One-paste (light cured)
• Two-paste

Question 3

What is an advantage of using alginate as a material?

Answer 3

Easy to mix

Question 4

What should we avoid incorporating into material whilst mixing?

Answer 4

Air bubbles

Question 5

Name 2 disadvantages of a powder and liquid system

Answer 5

• May be hard to incorporate all powder

- Hard to avoid air bubbles

Question 6

Name a disadvantage of a two paste system

Answer 6

Hard to avoid air bubbles

Question 7

Name a disadvantage of a one paste system

Answer 7

The material is viscous so it can be difficult to pack into a cavity

Question 8

Name some factors that can affect quality of the set material (4)

Answer 8

• Air bubbles
• Wrong powder:liquid ratio
• Incomplete mixing
• Incorrect mixing time

Question 9

Heat cured materials have what properties?

Answer 9

Optimum physico-mechanical properties

Question 10

Room temperature cured materials have what properties?

Answer 10

Have compromised properties compared with heat cured counterparts

Question 11

Light cured materials have what properties?

Answer 11

Physico-mechanical properties that lie between heat and RT cured materials

Question 12

List the 5 ideal properties of dental materials

Answer 12

• Biocompatible
• Mechanically stable
• Chemically resistant
• Dimensionally stable
• Minimal thermal and electrical conductivity

Question 13

What properties are desirable for an anterior filling material?

Answer 13

• Colour match
• Natural looking in different light conditions
• High compressive strength is not a necessity

Question 14

What properties are desirable for a posterior filling material?

Answer 14

• High compressive strength

- Aesthetics is not a necessity