The primary objective of this research is to develop new and improved biocompatible restorative resins for use in dentistry. The strategy for achieving this objective is to tailor-make liquid, high molecular weight polymers, which can be crosslinked with minimal shrinkage to hard, optically transparent coatings with good adhesion to enamel, dentin, and glass fillers. This proposal outlines a program to design and synthesize liquid polymers with reactive groups to permit crosslinking, polar groups to increase adhesion, and hydrophobic units for low water sorption. The proposed synthetic process is versatile to permit optimization of the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of the resin. Structure-property studies are needed to find ways of achieving minimal shrinkage on polymerization, of increasing the volume of filler in dental composites, of reducing sorption, of promoting adhesion, and of generally optimizing the physical and mechanical stability of the cured resin. Virtually all dental composites and sealants in use today contain the pototypical dental monomer BIS-GMA. The high viscosity of this monomer requires the use of diluent monomers to achieve a workable viscostiy. This results in an increase in shrinkage during the hardening process, causing a shearing stress and a marginal gap between the cavity wall and the restoration.
