Sol–gel based fabrication of novel glass-ceramics and composites for dental applications

The aim of this study is the fabrication of dental glass-ceramics able to elicit bioactive behaviour around the margins of fixed restorations and to provide a bioactive surface which can lead to periodontal tissue attachment, providing complete sealing of the marginal gap between tooth and fixed prosthesis. Sol–gel technique is applied for the fabrication of a new glass-ceramic in the system SiO260%–P2O53%–Al2O314%–CaO6%–Na2O7%–K2O10% (wt.%) and a related composite material combining this phase with the bioactive glass 58S. This composite material aims to create a bioactive surface which could lead to periodontal tissue attachment, providing complete sealing of the marginal gap between tooth and fixed prosthesis. The microstructural and thermal properties and the bioactive behaviour of the new materials were determined and were observed to be similar in respect to a commercial leucite based fluorapatite dental glass-ceramic. The feasibility of the new composite material to be applied as coating on the base porcelain as well as the bioactive behaviour of the fabricated coated specimes were confirmed.