A Materials Scientist's Glimpse into the New Millennium

Questions about the materials which are in current use are posed and answered in this review, which speculates about the sort of dental materials we will be using, or would like to use in the next century. Consideration is given to the merits and failings of dental amalgam, composites and glass-ionomer cements prior to laying down the requirements of the ultimate direct filling material. The case for the continued use of dental alloys for large restorations is discussed, and new ways of forming these are described. The use of many cunning techniques to improve the resistance of dental ceramics to catastrophic failure is reported, and a general improvement in both the denture bases and orthodontic appliances of the future is predicted.