Predicting refractive index of fluoride containing glasses for aesthetic dental restorations

Dental restoration aesthetics, particularly the translucency of modern dental restorative filling materials depends on the refractive index (RI) match between the different components in the material. In the case of dental composites (DC), the RI of the polymer must match the RI of the filler otherwise the material is optically opaque and has limited depth of cure. In the case of glass ionomer cements (GICs), the RI of the ion-leachable glass must match the RI of the polysalts to engineer a smart material with a tooth-like appearance.
Source: Dental Materials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Source Type: research