Dental Materials Developments in the UK: A Personal View

Development of acrylic cements and alumina ceramic dental reinforcements is described from a personal and chronological perspective by a leading researcher in that specialty. Evidently progress in dental prostheses demands a quite sophisticated composite structure with a strong alumina ceramic reinforcement bonded to an inert metal (such as platinum or gold alloys) with porcelain outer layers. While a research narrative is a noble and inspiring document, it would be useful to have a summary of current problems and the requirements for practical composites and prospects for new materials systems to overcome the severe technical challenges of dental composites.