Selection of Materials as Tooth Coatings

1 Problem Statement and Design Criteria. Propose a suitable replacement for enamel for use in coating a human tooth. The primary design criteria are  

Good insolation of the pulp against temperatnre extremes. 

Source G. hems, Selection of Engineering Materials. Copyright 1990 by Prentice-Hill, Inc. 

It is useful to divide the analysis into mechanical and nonmechanical properties. We will first consider the wear resistance and compressive strength considerations, then see if potential materials will meet the aesthetic, bonding, and biocompatibility criteria. It may be possible to incorporate secondary materials such as colorants, bonding agents, and compatiblizers that address these issues. 

1 Mechanical Properties of Candidate Materials. The mechanical properties of enamel and dentin were presented earlier in Table 5.14. We will use these values as the basis for our material selection process. Of these properties, compressive strength is the most important. The candidate material should have a compressive strength at least that of enamel, which is about 384 MPa. 

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