Dental Composites

A highly cross-linked polymeric material. It details the basic composition of composites, focusing on the organic resin matrix, inorganic fillers (including types like barium and zirconium glass), and coupling agents. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the evolution of curing technologies, tracing the progression from UV light to visible light curing systems, like Quartz Tungsten Halogen (QTH) and the more advanced Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Lasers, and discussing various photoinitiators such as Camphorquinone (CQ) and Phenyl-Propanedione (PPD). The document also thoroughly addresses the critical challenges in composite use, particularly polymerization shrinkage and the resulting stresses...