Dental composites

International audienceDental composites are organo-mineral filling biomaterials used for the restoration of damaged teeth. They are, among other things, intended to replace amalgams, while preserving the healthy tissues to which they are bound via an adhesive. This field is at the crossroads of many disciplines: solid-state chemistry, organic chemistry, materials chemistry, colloid chemistry, soft chemistry, solid mechanics, optics, rheology, physics of granular media and biology. This contribution describes the evolution of dental composites from their origins, with emphasis on their structures, preparations, properties and clinical indications