Disclosed herein are methods for creating opalescence in dental materials and restorations, compositions used in such methods, and the resultant dental materials and restorations. More particularly, the opalescence may be created by directly embedding opalescent particles into a matrix material. In some embodiments, photonic crystals are embedded in the dental material to achieve the opalescent effect. Photonic crystal particles may be embedded in dental materials matrices such as ceramics, composites, and polymers, and can generate opalescence in the materials. Some embodiments disclose compositions for applying the opalescence to a dental restoration.

The present invention provides a dental mill blank having reduced cracks and that excels in mechanical strength and aesthetic quality. The present invention relates to a dental mill blank comprising an inorganic filler and a polymer, and having a porosity of 25 to 35 volume % after 2-hour ashing at 600 C. In the dental mill blank, the inorganic filler preferably comprises an inorganic filler (A) and an inorganic filler (B), and the dental mill blank preferably satisfies the following formulae (I) and (II),

0.12a0.70(I)

3b/a(II),

where a is an average primary particle diameter of the inorganic filler (A) in micrometers, and b is an average primary particle diameter of the inorganic filler (B) in micrometers. Preferably, the inorganic filler (A) and the inorganic filler (B) have a volume-to-volume content ratio (A)/(B) of 5/95 to 50/50.

The present invention provides a dental mill blank having reduced cracks and that excels in mechanical strength and aesthetic quality. The present invention relates to a dental mill blank comprising an inorganic filler and a polymer, and having a porosity of 25 to 35 volume % after 2-hour ashing at 600 C. In the dental mill blank, the inorganic filler preferably comprises an inorganic filler (A) and an inorganic filler (B), and the dental mill blank preferably satisfies the following formulae (I) and (II),

0.12a0.70(I)

3b/a(II),

where a is an average primary particle diameter of the inorganic filler (A) in micrometers, and b is an average primary particle diameter of the inorganic filler (B) in micrometers. Preferably, the inorganic filler (A) and the inorganic filler (B) have a volume-to-volume content ratio (A)/(B) of 5/95 to 50/50.

To provide a cured product having high fracture energy, provided are a curable composition, including: organic-inorganic composite particles; (a polymerizable monomer; a polymerization initiator; and inorganic particles, in which a cured body formed by curing the curable composition includes: a matrix formed by curing all constituent components of the curable composition except for the organic-inorganic composite particles; and the organic-inorganic composite particles dispersed and contained in the cured body, and in which an elastic modulus M of the matrix is larger than an elastic modulus P of the organic-inorganic composite particles by 3.0 GPa or more, a curable composition for dental use, and an organic-inorganic composite particle for dental use.

To provide a cured product having high fracture energy, provided are a curable composition, including: organic-inorganic composite particles; (a polymerizable monomer; a polymerization initiator; and inorganic particles, in which a cured body formed by curing the curable composition includes: a matrix formed by curing all constituent components of the curable composition except for the organic-inorganic composite particles; and the organic-inorganic composite particles dispersed and contained in the cured body, and in which an elastic modulus M of the matrix is larger than an elastic modulus P of the organic-inorganic composite particles by 3.0 GPa or more, a curable composition for dental use, and an organic-inorganic composite particle for dental use.

Process for the preparation of a particulate dental filler composition, comprising the following steps: (a) introducing a mixture containing (a1) a silica precursor component, and (a2) a solution or dispersion of one or more compounds selected from compounds of aluminum, zinc, titanium, zirconium, tungsten, ytterbium, hafnium, bismuth, barium, strontium, silver, tantalum, lanthanum, tin, boron, and cerium, into a pulsed reactor; (b) converting the silica precursor component and the compounds into a particulate mixed oxide with a pulsed gas flow resulting from flameless combustion; (c) isolating the particulate mixed oxide from the pulsed reactor; (d) optionally subjecting the particulate mixed oxide to a heat treatment step; and (e) treating the optionally heat-treated particulate mixed oxide with a silane treatment agent for obtaining a particulate dental filler composition.

Disclosed is a dental adhesive including a polymeric adhesive and a nanofiller dispersed in the polymeric adhesive, the nanofiller being constituted by graphene nanostructures which are properly dispersed inside the polymer adhesive and over the surface of the adhesive layer without formation of agglomerates, so that the dental adhesive exhibits significant antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties against pathogens of the oral cavity.

Disclosed is a dental adhesive including a polymeric adhesive and a nanofiller dispersed in the polymeric adhesive, the nanofiller being constituted by graphene nanostructures which are properly dispersed inside the polymer adhesive and over the surface of the adhesive layer without formation of agglomerates, so that the dental adhesive exhibits significant antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties against pathogens of the oral cavity.

The present invention relates to particles comprising a core, in particular a magnetic core, and a first coating of a first shell material, wherein a second coating of a second shell material is applied to the surface of the first coating facing away from the core, the second shell material is different from the first shell material and has a higher refractive index than the first shell material.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a dental curable composition includes: polymerizable monomers; inorganic particles (A1) and/or inorganic particles (A2) (excluding the inorganic particles (A2); and inorganic particles (B). The inorganic particles (A1) are surface-treated with a compound expressed by a general formula (1) and have a volume-median particle size of greater than or equal to 0.1 m and less than or equal to 0.9 m. The inorganic particles (A2) are surface-treated with a compound expressed by a general formula (2) and have a volume-median particle size of greater than or equal to 0.1 m and less than or equal to 0.9 m. The inorganic particles (B) are particles where a group expressed by a general formula (A) is present at surfaces, are particles where a group expressed by a general formula (B) is present at surfaces, and/or are particles surface-treated with a compound expressed by a general formula (3) and have an average primary particle size of greater than or equal to 5 nm and less than or equal to 50 nm. A ratio of a mass of the inorganic particles (B) to a total mass of the inorganic particles (A1), the inorganic particles (A2), and the inorganic particles (B) is greater than or equal to 0.001 and less than or equal to 0.015.