Comparative Evaluation of Contemporary Dental Biomaterials Used in Restorative Dentistry: A Clinical and Laboratory-Based Study

Abstract

Contemporary restorative dentistry relies on biomaterials that must balance mechanical performance,adhesion, aesthetics, biocompatibility, and long-term clinical stability. This scholarly article presents acomparative framework for evaluating direct and indirect restorative biomaterials—resin composites, glassionomer cements (GIC), resin-modified GIC (RMGIC), CAD/CAM resin-matrix ceramics/hybrid ceramics,lithium disilicate glass-ceramics, and zirconia—through a combined laboratory and clinical lens. Laboratoryassessment emphasizes flexural strength, fracture toughness, wear, polymerization shrinkage, marginalintegrity, and bonding behavior, while clinical evaluation focuses on survival/failure patterns (fracture,secondary caries, debonding, wear, marginal discoloration), patient-reported outcomes, and operatordependent factors. Evidence suggests posterior resin composites show favorable annual failure rates in manysettings, but risk increases with restoration size and patient caries risk. Glass ionomer materials remainvaluable for high-caries-risk patients and cervical lesions due to fluoride release and chemical bonding, withongoing evidence syntheses supporting their clinical longevity across indications. For indirect restorations,lithium disilicate and zirconia demonstrate strong medium-term survival in systematic reviews and cohortevidence, with zirconia often showing slightly higher survival in some comparisons. The study concludes withan evidence-guided material selection algorithm that aligns material choice with load, esthetic demand,bonding substrate, and patient risk profile.