Properties of Dental Materials

density

measure of the weight a material has compared with its volume (marshmallow)

hardness

the resistance of a solid to penetration, also resistance to wear and abrasion

ultimate strength

the maximum amount of stress a material can withstand without breaking

elasticity

ability of a material to recover its shape completely after deformation from an applied force (rubber band)

stiffness

materials resistance to deformation, measured by young's elastic modulus-stiffer materials have higher modulus. The greatest stress a material can withstand without permanent deformation is the proportional limit

resilience

is the resistance of a material to permanent deformation

toughness

the ability of a material to resist fracture

ductility

the amount of dimensional change an object can withstand without breaking

malleability

the ability to be compressed and formed into a thin sheet without breaking

thixotropic materials

are materials that flow more easily under mechanical forces (toothpaste, ketchup)

viscosity

the ability of a liquid material to flow

dimensional change

all forms of matter expand when they are heated and contract when cooled

coefficient of thermal expansion

measurement of the change in volume or length in relationship to change in temperature

percolation

repeated shrinkage and expansion of a restoration during ingestion of cold and hot fluids and foods producing an opening and closing of a gap between the restoration and the tooth surface

thermal conductivity

the rate at which heat flows through material (metals are good at this)

heat capacity

amount of heat a material can retain/hold/hoard

heat of fusion/vaporization

how much energy is required to melt, boil or vaporize

water sorption

ability to absorb moisture

corrosion

deterioration of metals due to a chemical attack or electrochemical reaction with a dissimilar metal

tarnish

when the surface of a metal restoration, especially amalgams, can undergo discoloration due to oxidation of the surface of the metal

galvanism

transmission of electrical current between two dissimilar metals

wetting

the degree to which a liquid adhesive is able to spread over the surface of the tooth and restorative material

film thickness

the minimum thickness obtainable by a layer of a material (dental cements)

surface characteristic

cleanliness of the surface, moisture contamination, surface texture and surface energy of the restoration and tooth

hue

is the dominant color of the wavelength detected (teeth are seen in the yellow and brown range)

chroma

is the intensity or strength of the color (teeth are rather pale in color)

value

describes how light (white) or dark (black) the color is (teeth have value ranges in the light scale)

transparent

light passes directly through an object

opaque

light is completely absorbed by the object

translucency

the quality of partially transmitting and partially scattering light

hardness

ability of a material to resist forces of indentation

fatigue

repeated application of stress to an object causes tiny cracks to be generated within its structure

creep

the gradual but permanent change in dimension that occurs in an object subjected to a constant load

wear

complex phenomenon that occurs when two surfaces are brought into direct contact of indirect contact with a third body acting between them (most common types are abrasion and attrition)

compressive force

force applied to compress an object, pushing or crushing stress, biting down on something

tensile force

force applied in opposite directions to stretch an object, pulling stress

shearing force

force applied when two surfaces slide against each other,sliding stress

force

is a weight or load that is applied to an object

stress

resists the applied force

bending

combination of stresses/compression and stretching plus compressive, shearing and tension within an object

elastic limit

maximum stress level at which complete recovery of strain occurs on release of the stress

elastic deformation

the object returns to its original shape after stress is removed

plastic deformation

point where stress is no longer proportional to strain, the object will not return to its original shape

ultimate strength

the maximum stress that can be withstood before breaking

stress

force or load applied to an object

strength

resistance internally to the stress

strain

internal rearrangement of atoms to adjust stress (change is length divided by original length)

relaxation

attempt of material to return to its original form

deformation

change in shape from the strain