As a direct consequence of their application domain – the oral cavity – dental materials are subjected to the corosive action of saliva, being surrounded by microorganisms, fluids and alimentary rests, which modify their surface characteristics. Concerns on the quality of the dental materials explain the numeorus interdisciplinary studies, characterized by a close relation among various scientific domains (physics, chemistry, biology, science of biomaterials), techniques also applied in clinical stomatology. Analysis of the saliva–dental materials interface made use of ceramic surfaces, composites and artificial saliva, permitting to determine the main surface parameters of the materials of prosthetic restoration, calculated with some physical models, starting from measurements of the contact angle: surface energy, its polar and dispersive components, surface rugosity, adhesion mechanic work. All composites showed low values of the adhesion mechanic work, the conclusion being that they are much more hydrophobic than the ceramic materials. Such a property is especially important from an aesthetic perspective, as the hydrophobic materials have a better colour stability in time.
Keywords:- ceramics.
- composites
- contact angle
- rugosity.
- saliva
- surface energy