Refractive Index of Dental Materials

From WikiDent

Jump to: navigation, search
[edit]

Overview

The refractive index (RI) of raw materials used in the dental restorative industry is vital to creating esthetically pleasing composites and sealants. Simply stated, the refractive index of the organic polymer matrix, must match that of the inorganic filler and substrate in order to avoid obvious “lines” where the product is applied.


[edit]

Common Materials

The following information is a list of common raw materials and their RI's:


MONOMERS

Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate 1.445

Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate 1.452

1,12-Dodecanediol Dimethacrylate 1.455

1,6-Hexanediol Dimethacrylate 1.455

Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate 1.456

Triethyleneglycol Dimethacrylate 1.460

HEMA Phosphate 1.469

1,3-Glycerol Dimethacrylate 1.471

Trimethylolpropane Trimethacrylate 1.471

PEG400 Extended UDMA 1.480

Urethane Dimethacrylate 1.483

FIT™ 852 Resin 1.494

50:50 BisGMA:TEGDMA Blend 1.500

80:20 BisGMA:TEGDMA Blend 1.528

Ethoxylated Bisphenol A Dimethacrylate 1.535

Bisphenol A Glycidyl Methacrylate 1.540

  • Monomer RI can vary depending upon temperature and impurities.


GLASS FILLERS

Barium Silicate 1.540

Barium Aluminosilicate 1.580

Barium Borosilicate 1.553

Strontium Borosilicate 1.500

  • Glass Filler RI can vary depending upon the ratio of components.


In general, the refractive index of monomers will be lower than the refractive index of their polymerized counterparts. Matching the RI of each raw material is the key to creating a indiscernable dental restoration.


External Reference: Refractive Index of Methacrylate Monomers and Polymers

Retrieved from "http://en.wikident.org/wiki/Refractive_Index_of_Dental_Materials"
Personal tools