Resin composite and glass ionomer cement (GIC) are the most commonly used dental materials to perform direct restorations. Both have specific characteristics that explain their popularity and their limits. More than 20 years ago, the first attempt (followed by others) to combine the advantages of these two families was performed with compomers, but it was not very successful. Recently, new formulations (also called ‘smart materials’) with claimed ion release properties have been proposed under different family names, but there are few studies on them and explanations of their chemistries. This comprehensive review aims to gather the compositions; the setting reactions; the mechanical, self-adhesive, and potential bulk-fill properties; and the ion release abilities of the large existing families of fluoride-releasing restorative materials and the new restorative materials to precisely describe their characteristics, their eventual bioactivities, and classify them for an improved understanding of these materials. Based on this work, the whole GIC family, including resin-modified and highly viscous formulations, was found to be bioactive. Cention N (Ivoclar Vivadent, AG, Schaan, Lietschentein) is the first commercially available bioactive resin composite.

In this comprehensive review, the current state of the art and recent advances in 3D printing in dentistry are explored. This article provides an overview of the fundamental principles of 3D printing with a focus on vat photopolymerization (VP), the most commonly used technological principle in dental practice, which includes SLA, DLP, and LCD (or mSLA) technologies. The advantages, disadvantages, and shortcomings of these technologies are also discussed. This article delves into the key stages of the dental 3D printing process, from computer-aided design (CAD) to postprocessing, emphasizing the importance of postrinsing and postcuring to ensure the biocompatibility of custom-made medical devices. Legal considerations and regulatory obligations related to the production of custom medical devices through 3D printing are also addressed. This article serves as a valuable resource for dental practitioners, researchers, and health care professionals interested in applying this innovative technology in clinical practice.

The restoration of endodontically treated teeth (ETT) remains a significant challenge in modern dentistry. These teeth often suffer from substantial structural damage due to both the original pathology and the invasive nature of endodontic procedures. Consequently, ETT are more susceptible to fractures compared to vital teeth, necessitating restorative strategies that can effectively restore both function and aesthetics while minimizing the risk of failure. In recent years, advances in adhesive dentistry and the development of high-strength ceramics have further expanded the restorative options for ETT. Bonded restorations have gained popularity as they preserve more tooth structure and enhance the overall strenght of the tooth-restoration complex. The choice of restorative material and technique is influenced by numerous factors, including the amount of remaining tooth structure, the functional requirements of the tooth, and the aesthetic demands of the patient. Despite the plethora of available materials and techniques, the optimal approach to restoring ETT remains a topic of ongoing research and debate. In this comprehensive review, the current state of and recent advances in restoring damaged endodontically treated teeth are explored. Numerous therapeutic options exist, involving a wide range of materials. This article aims to present the biomaterial advancements of the past decade and their applications, offering alternative approaches to treating damaged ETT with the goal of prolonging their retention on the dental arch and serving as a valuable resource for dental practitioners who face this issue daily.

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the optimal printing parameters for the producing of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printed polyetheretherketone (PEEK) elements with mechanical properties suitable for dental restorations. Indeed, the mechanical properties are a critical prerequisite for the study of other parameters, such as physical, aesthetic and biological properties. An exhaustive electronic search was carried out in the PubMed, Embase and Web of knowledge databases to gather all the studies evaluating the influence of the printing parameters on the obtained mechanical properties of FDM 3D-printed PEEK elements were selected. Initially, the search resulted in 614 eligible papers. Independent screenings of the abstracts were performed by two authors to identify the articles related to the question. Twenty-nine studies were selected, of which eleven were further excluded after reading of the full text, and finally, eighteen articles were included in this review. The studies were difficult to compare due to the variability of the printing parameters and the types of PEEK. However, it seems interesting to use a high infill rate, a high chamber temperature close to that of the printing temperature and a heat post-treatment to obtain 3D PEEK elements presenting properties adapted to use as dental restorations. The analysis of the available literature suggested that the properties of PEEK could make it an interesting material in dental restorations to be performed with FDM additive manufacturing.

A literature review points out a large discrepancy in the results of the mechanical tests on dentin that can be explained by stress and strain assessment during the tests. Errors in these assessments during mechanical tests can lead to inaccurate estimation of the mechanical properties of the tested material. On top of that, using the beam theory to analyze the bending test for thick specimens will increase these experimental errors. After summarizing the results of mechanical tests on dentin in the literature, we focus on bending tests and compare the stress assessment obtained by finite element analysis (FEA) and by beam theory application. We show that the difference between the two methods can be quite large in some cases, leading us to prefer the use of FEA to assess stresses. We then propose a new method based on coupling finite element analysis and digital image correlation (DIC) to more accurately evaluate stress distributions, strain distributions and elastic modulus in the case of a three-point bending test. To illustrate and prove the feasibility of the method, it is applied on a dentinal sample so that mean elastic modulus and maximum tensile stress are obtained (11.9 GPa and 143.9 MPa). Note that the main purpose of this study is to focus on the method itself, and not to provide new mechanical values for dentin. When used in standard mechanical testing of dentin, this kind of method should help to narrow the range of obtained mechanical properties values.