Do you know what are the artificial teeth made off? Replacement for decayed or lost teeth has been produced since antiquity. The most common material that was used for artificial teeth was ivory especially from elephants. Human teeth were also used, pulled from the dead. These kinds of false teeth soon rotted, turned brown and rancid. So the need for more stable material arose. In the past artificial teeth made of metals like silver, gold were very common.
If a damaged tooth is beyond repair, it must be extracted and replaced with an artificial tooth which is made of porcelain, metals like gold or plasti8c. False teeth made of acrylic are also being used. The most commonly used materials for artificial teeth today are porcelain and acrylic. Acrylic teeth contain polymethyl methatcrylate(PMMA) resin which forms its basic ingredients. PMMA resins are resilient plastics formed by joining multiple methyl methacrylate molecules. A cross linking agent is added which serves as a bridge that provides increased resistance to deformation. So these teeth have greater fracture toughness than porcelain teeth. Furthermore resin teeth are easier to adjust.
On the other hand ceramics or porcelain is characterized by their hardness, susceptibility to brittle fracture and chemical inertness. Prosthetic teeth can also be made with a metal substrate to which porcelain is bonded for aesthetic enhancement. These teeth are called metal-ceramic restoration. A full porcelain (all-ceramic restoration), porcelain fused to gold, full gold and all metal crown restoration are also in practice.
The important goal of dentistry is to restore the colour and appearance of natural teeth. Two important attributes of dental ceramics are their potential for matching the appearance of natural teeth and their insulating property. For this reason they are quite expensive when compared to acrylic teeth. Artificial teeth need a base to hold them in place. Many synthetic resins are used for this purpose. Hardness, resistance to abrasion, natural look, and ability to withstand stresses during chewing and thermo physical properties like thermal conductivity are the most important factors in considering materials for artificial teeth.
If a damaged tooth is beyond repair, it must be extracted and replaced with an artificial tooth which is made of porcelain, metals like gold or plasti8c. False teeth made of acrylic are also being used. The most commonly used materials for artificial teeth today are porcelain and acrylic. Acrylic teeth contain polymethyl methatcrylate(PMMA) resin which forms its basic ingredients. PMMA resins are resilient plastics formed by joining multiple methyl methacrylate molecules. A cross linking agent is added which serves as a bridge that provides increased resistance to deformation. So these teeth have greater fracture toughness than porcelain teeth. Furthermore resin teeth are easier to adjust.
On the other hand ceramics or porcelain is characterized by their hardness, susceptibility to brittle fracture and chemical inertness. Prosthetic teeth can also be made with a metal substrate to which porcelain is bonded for aesthetic enhancement. These teeth are called metal-ceramic restoration. A full porcelain (all-ceramic restoration), porcelain fused to gold, full gold and all metal crown restoration are also in practice.
The important goal of dentistry is to restore the colour and appearance of natural teeth. Two important attributes of dental ceramics are their potential for matching the appearance of natural teeth and their insulating property. For this reason they are quite expensive when compared to acrylic teeth. Artificial teeth need a base to hold them in place. Many synthetic resins are used for this purpose. Hardness, resistance to abrasion, natural look, and ability to withstand stresses during chewing and thermo physical properties like thermal conductivity are the most important factors in considering materials for artificial teeth.
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