Biomechanical considerations of chemical structure and biosafety of current ceramic biomaterials for dentistry: review and outlook of the current state of the art.

Biomaterial refers to any material, non-pharmaceutical or combination of substances of synthetic or natural origin used for any period independently or as part of a system for the purpose of healing, assisting the growth or replacement of tissues, organs or functions of the body. It is an unsustainable material that interacts with biological systems. Before being produced a biomaterial goes through a sequence of steps, which includes: 1) the definition of the problem that the material will be called to solve (treatment, replacement of the instrument, aesthetic reasons); 2) design of the device, composition and control of materials (mechanical properties, toxicity, biological response, corrosion resistance, interaction with proteins, cells and tissues), manufacture, sterilization and standardization; 3) control of the device (in experimental animals, in vitro) clinical studies, studies; and 4) monitor its long-term use in vivo, in vitro and in patients. Research for ceramic materials is evolving and because they can be porous or glassy, they find applications in medicine and biotechnology, as they can be used as fillers, covering materials and scaffolds. Therefore, ceramic biomaterials are widely used not only in the field of orthopedic and maxillofacial surgery but also in dentistry as for dental prostheses. Materials monitoring technologies allow us to monitor the three-dimensional development in space, as well as imperfections or micro-cracks in the ceramic.