History of Dental Ceramics

A type of dental crown made entirely of ceramic material.

A type of dental crown made of ceramic, but with a metal substructure.

Ceramic material containing a high percentage of alumina (Al2O3) fillers, initially used for dental crowns.

A glass-ceramic material with a high percentage of leucite crystals, commonly used for dental crowns.

A glass-ceramic material with a high percentage of lithium disilicate crystals, used in dental crowns and bridges.

The process of heating ceramic materials to a high temperature, causing them to shrink and become more dense.

The ability of a material to resist breakage or fracture under stress.

The ability of a material to resist wear and tear from abrasive forces.

The process of creating a smooth and close-fitting interface between two materials, often used in dental restorations.

A type of dental restoration that covers multiple teeth, typically used to replace missing teeth.

The first porcelain tooth material was patented in 1789 by a French dentist and pharmacist. This product was an improvement over "mineral paste teeth" but couldn't be attached to denture bases effectively.

In 1808, an Italian dentist invented a porcelain tooth held in place by a platinum pin or frame, marking a significant advancement in attaching artificial teeth.

Porcelain teeth were introduced to the United States in 1817, and a baking process for these teeth was developed in Philadelphia in 1822. Commercial production began in 1825.

An improved version of the porcelain tooth was developed in England in 1837. This further refinement contributed to the advancement of dental ceramics.

The S.S.White Company was founded in 1844, leading to refinements in design and mass production of porcelain denture teeth.

Dr. Charles Land introduced one of the first ceramic crowns in 1903. This crown used a platinum foil matrix and high-fusing feldspathic porcelain, offering good aesthetics.

The low flexural strength of early porcelain crowns resulted in a high fracture rate. This limitation challenged the use of all-ceramic crowns without additional support.

In 1959, a patent for feldspathic porcelain with a wide range of expansion coefficients and chemical bonding to existing alloys was filed. This innovation addressed the limitations of earlier porcelain materials.

The first commercial porcelain was developed around 1963. Later, Ceramco porcelain was introduced, exhibiting thermal expansion behavior that allowed it to be used with a wider variety of alloys.

Early porcelain materials had their own aesthetic qualities, but the introduction of more versatile porcelain, like Ceramco, enabled greater compatibility with other materials.