A Strong Dental Filling Material Is One of the World´s Most Innovative Novelties

​The filling material has been chosen as one of the world´s most innovative product novelties in the International Dental Schau (IDS 2013) event, the biggest exhibition of the discipline, in Köln, Germany.

The material, called EverX Posterior, has been developed in collaboration with the researchers of TCBC, Stick Tech Oy and GC Corporation.

The substance is planned to replace the amalgam, which is used in fillings, especially in the back teeth. In the following years, the amalgam fillings of millions of people will be fixed.

– At the moment, the choices for filling materials are the traditional composite plastic, which has been used for a few decades in Finland with varying success, and the ceramic fillings, which are quite expensive. This new material is both affordable and durable, tells Director of TCBC Pekka Vallittu.

A special feature of the filling material is its fibre-like reinforcement particle structure, which is combined into IPN plastic matrix that is developed in Turku earlier. The dental filling material is tough, even healthy dentine breaks more easily. Also, the fibers enable the controlling of the shrinkage of the fillings while they set.

– This is the first time that a fibre, which reinforces and toughens, is used in fillings. It makes the filling stronger than others. The material is also inexpensive so it is suitable for the mouths of the general public, Valittu says.

EverX Posterior has gotten a selling permit in Finland a year ago and it has been used in a small scale. Now, a Finnish and Japanese company are joining forces and starting to distribute the material worldwide.

Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre is a research laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku. It provides a research environment for the researchers of BioCity and different Doctoral Programmes.

>> Website of the Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre

Text: Hannu Aaltonen
Translation: Henna Borisoff