Classification of Dental Materials by Functions

We now know dental materials are generally categorized into 4 classes by their nature. In dentistry, they can be classified into three major types by function: which are Preventive Dental Materials, Restorative Dental Materials, and Auxiliary Dental Materials.

The first category is preventive dental materials. The definition of this type is the Reagent used to prevent the progression of tooth decay. For example, Cement, coating, or restorative material that either seals pits and fissures or releases a therapeutic agent such as fluoride and mineralizing ions to prevent or arrest the demineralization of tooth structure

The second category is restorative dental materials. It can be further divided into two types which are Direct Restorative Materials and Indirect Restorative Materials.

The last category is auxiliary dental materials. This type of material is used in the construction of a dental prosthesis but does not become a part of the structure.

In fact, materials science is one of the key academic disciplines in schools of dental medicine, and many significant improvements in dental practice have come from the development of new materials.