[Fluorescence of dental ceramics by means of non-radioactive materials]

In order to improve the aesthetics of dental ceramics under all lighting conditions, uranium and cerium are added as fluorescent additives. However, studies have shown that the fluorescent behavior of dental ceramics is still not identical to that of natural teeth in all cases. A further disadvantage of the use of uranium are its radioactive and poisonous properties. This study was undertaken in order to investigate the possibility of using elements of the rare earth family as fluorescent additives for dental ceramics. The rare earths were added to a potassium feldspar glass host and emission spectra were measured. As a result it is recommended that divalent europium and trivalent dysprosium be further investigated as possible fluorescent additives for dental ceramics, as they show intense blue-white and yellow fluorescence respectively.