Chemistry and Dentistry

I chose Mr. Caniglia as my BASIS faculty supervisor because I took his organic chemistry capstone class this year. As I find out more about the "what" of dentistry I want to have Mr. Caniglia help me with figuring out the "why". For example I learned that zirconia and lithium disilicate undergo different crystalline structures based on what part of the crown-making process the crown is at. During the phase that the crown must be shaped zirconia and lithium disilicate take on different color and are more malleable, but after the final firing stage they loose that color and the crystalline structure becomes fully hardened. Mr. Caniglia and I are working on using my basic knowledge of organic and inorganic chemistry to help me understand the reason why this happens. Another topic of interest is in the properties that make porcelain, zirconia and lithium disilicate match the color and translucency of human teeth so well.  Check back for more updates!