THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP IMPROVED COMPOSITE FILLING MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR RESTORING POSTERIOR TEETH AS WELL AS ANTERIOR.

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP IMPROVED COMPOSITE FILLING MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR RESTORING POSTERIOR TEETH AS WELL AS ANTERIOR. THE GOAL IS PERMANENCE. TWO PRIMARY OBJECTIVES ARE TO INCREASE THE CONCENTRATION OF FILLER TO 90% BY WEIGHT AND TO MAXIMIZE THE ADHESION BETWEEN THE RESIN AND FILLER. THE APPROACH ENTAILS COATING EACH FILLER PARTICLE WITH A THIN FILM OF POLYMER IN SUCH A WAY THAT OPTIMUM ADHESION IS OBTAINED. THIS COATING IS ALSO TAILORED TO PERMIT HIGH FILLER LOADINGS. THE PLAN IS TO INTENSIVELY EVALUATE THE COMPOSITES TO SHOW THAT IT IS FEASIBLE TO PREPARE IMPROVED DENTAL COMPOSITE RESTORATIVES WITH 90% QUARTZ. THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES OF EXPERIMENTAL COMPOSITES WILL BE MEASURED: WATER ABSORPTION, SETTING TIME, COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, THERMAL EXPANSION, DENSITY, COLOR STABILITY AND TRANSLUCENCY. IN PHASE II, THE INTENT IS TO OPTIMIZE THE PROCESS AND DEMONSTRATE DURABILITY AND PERMANENCE AFTER CONDUCTING ACCELERATED AGING TESTS AND MEASURING THE RESISTANCE TO WEAR AND THERMAL CYCLING BEFORE CLINICAL EVALUATIONS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT A COMPOSITE WITH THE DURABILITY OF A SILVER AMALGAM WILL RESULT. BECAUSE OF ITS ESTHETIC ADVANTAGE THIS COMPOSITE RESTORATIVE MATERIAL SHOULD CAPTURE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE MARKET FOR POSTERIOR TEETH RESTORATIONS.