Sol-Gel Fabrication of Glass-Ceramic Composite Materials for Dental Application

The aim of this study was to investigate the sol-gel technique to fabricate glass-ceramic composite materials. The produced materials have potential application in dental restorations and they are expected to exhibit better control of composition, microstructure and properties due to the intrinsic processing benefits of the sol-gel preparation method. The characterization of the fabricated composites was performed by a range of techniques. The microstructure and bioactive behavior of the materials before and after application of heat treatment were studied. Moreover, the capability of making coatings on dental glass-ceramic substrates using the new glass-ceramics was demonstrated. The formation of well attached coatings exhibiting bioactive behavior was documented.