Nanotechnology-based dental composites, see Tokuyama Dental's OMNICHROMA, can address the issue of color mismatch between tooth and filling. Similar to a chameleon, the filling can match the color of the surrounding enamel. We thoroughly investigated the nanostructure of the composite and the related optical properties using electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation-based nanotomography, small-angle X-ray scattering and optical transmission measurements. The spherical silica-zirconia fillers show a size of 260 nm and form micrometer-sized spherical domains of close-packed nanospheres. The aim of the study is to quantify the chameleon effect and discuss possible paths towards biomimetic anisotropic dental composites with improved color matching.
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