History of resins in dentistry

The period of 175 years from 1800 to 1975 represents one of significant advancement in prosthetic and restorative dental service. The transition from the time of ill-fitting dentures, fashioned from naturally occurring materials, to the application of synthetic resins for a long list of dental and surgical purposes described in this symposium represents a typical example of technical and professional advancement that has taken place throughout the world society during this same period. As noted in the beginning of this report, the advancement in dentistry has been possible through the cooperative efforts of contemporary scientists in many related fields. If denistry retains this good working relationship, as it is expected to do, then the advancements within the next two generations can significantly change and improve the practice of dentistry from what is presently known, by the application of additional new and modified dental resins.