Smart Materials in Restorative Dentistry

Material science has revolutionized many areas of dentistry. The quest for an ideal restorative material has lead to the discovery of various newer generations of materials. Traditionally materials were designed for their use in the body or more specifically in the oral cavity to survive longer if they were “passive” in nature. Materials such as amalgam composites and various dental cements were often judged on their ability to survive without interacting with the oral environment. However the first inclination that an “active” rather than a “passive” material could be beneficial was after the realisation of the benefit of fluoride release from the restorative materials. Eventually this lead to the introduction of Smart Material Science in the field of restorative dentistry. In this book titled “Smart Materials in Restorative Dentistry” we have tried to concise the various restorative materials and aids used in this concerned field. Chapter 1 introduces the basic science behind smart technology. Chapter 2 gives the various classifications of smart materials including the ones used in dentistry. Chapter 3 gives an outline on the genesis of smart materials.