[Structural research on silicate dental materials]

Comparative studies of the structural features of Gamma porcelain, Sikor glass ceramic, and Cast Glass Ceramic (CGC) by x-ray structural analysis and IR spectroscopy have revealed that improvement of the physical characteristics of stomatological silicate material in transition to glass ceramic is explained by similarity of their composition with lithium disilicate. CGC structure due to convergence of the composition of the major areas of chemical heterogeneities is the most compact as compared to Sikor structure and more so us. Gamma. As evidenced by IR spectroscopy, super microhardness of CGC, observed in practice, appears to be related to their higher solidity in contrast to that of Gamma porcelain, structurally similar to amorphous silica, and that of Sikor characterized by a poorly crystallized tridymite structure. Higher physical characteristics of CGC distinguish it among the known silicate materials used in dentistry and recommend it for wide practice.