The mechanical behavior of the material-tissue and material-material interface in dental reconstructions

In dental and craniofacial sciences, frequently the goal is to replace lost or damaged natural tissue with synthetic materials. For ideal function, these replacement materials must strongly bond to the existing tissue, but they also must form a hermetic seal that eliminates the passage of microorganisms and fluids that would lead to further tissue destruction or weakening of the interface or the individual materials, compromising the final outcome. Therefore, the study of interfaces is crucial, and the manner in which they can be tested to predict the likelihood of success is of great interest to the field.

Because a variety of materials and material combinations are used for the repair or replacement of oral and craniofacial tissues, numerous types of material interfaces exist. A complete discussion of this important topic requires an examination of all of them. In this review article, the three different types of interfaces are treated separately. First, the interface between the tooth tissue and restorative material is explored, specifically by considering resin-based materials such as dental adhesives and composite, and the manner in which they interact with dentin and enamel. Second, the interaction between these same resin-based materials and other structures, such as oxide ceramic dental crowns, are explored, because these tooth replacement materials are typically fixed to the remaining tooth structure through the use of resin-based adhesives and cements, or repaired intraorally with similar materials. Finally, the interface between different synthetic materials, such as metals and ceramics, with dental porcelain used as an esthetic veneering material is addressed.