The Specialized Materials Science Research Center is one of three centers established in the United States by the National Institute for Dental Research to develop dental materials that are safe, long-lasting, affordable, and look natural. At the UM center, three groups of investigators from the School of Dentistry, College of Engineering, and Department of Chemistry are taking up this charge. William O'Brien , professor of dentistry, is the center director. One group of materials under study at the center are ceramics. Ceramics available today are used mostly in the front of the mouth where appearance is critical.
Wider use is precluded because ceramics fracture and fail more often than amalgam.
O'Brien recently announced the development of a new, super-strong ceramic developed at the center. Known as Magcor , this material is ideal for capping front teeth. Crowns made of Magcor are less expensive to produce than the metal alloys often used and four times stronger. A second focus of the center are polymer materials. The appearance of these polymeric resins is good, but they wear too quickly and shrink excessively.