Advancements in Adhesive Restorative Dental Materials

¹ Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, Indiana

One area of dental research in the field of polymer chemistry has been used to illustrate the broadening horizons of the dental investigative effort. The evolution of a dental adhesive restorative material must encompass an interdisciplinary attack on the formidable barriers that have limited the usefulness of plastics in dentistry. A summary of the problems involved, a review of the historical growth of a research program in this field, and illustrations of individual projects depict the need and use of unique combinations of research talents from the entire scientific community.