Biological implications of dental materials.

Testing of the biologic effects of dental materials has lagged far behind the characterization of their mechanical and physical properties. Various biologic-type tests, whether in vitro or in vivo, have often produced conflicting or confusing data. The objective of this article was to bring together the results of various investigations to form guidelines for the safest use of dental materials. Since many interactions between dental materials and living tissue have not been definitively established, a conservative approach was taken. The clinician who heeds the data summarized for the dental materials presented here will have the greatest probability of obtaining a benign chemical response of soft and hard tissues.