The Vienna University of Technology and Ivoclar Vivadent have joined forces to develop photoactive materials out of Germanium. With the decreasing popularity of amalgam filings more user friendly composites are being developed for higher efficiency and improved aesthetics. This development is sure to make dental appointments much shorter and more enjoyable. Learn more about the recent progression of dental fillings and and how it could impact your next dental visit.
Similar to natural tooth enamel, modern dental composites consist of a mixture of different material components. In addition to inorganic fillers they can also contain photoactive organic resins which react to light of a particular wavelength and readily solidify. Professor Robert Liska and his team at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) have been working with such photoactive substances for a long time. Similar photoactive substances are used for additional applications including protective coatings and modern 3d-printing. The penetration depth of the light depends on its wavelength. "Usually, light in the violet and ultraviolet region is used", says Robert Liska. It is also possible to use light with longer wavelengths, which penetrates deeper into the material, but then the polymerization process is less efficient. If the filling cannot be hardened in one step, the procedure has to be repeated several times. If the cavity is large, this can be rather uncomfortable.
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