Sammanfattning
Fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) have been used successfully for decades in many fields of science and engineering. Benefits of FRCs relate to physical properties of light curing material, which can be well utilized in dentistry. Although metals and ceramics have successfully been used as dental biomaterials for decades, devices made out of these materials do not meet all clinical requirements. Only little attention has been paid to the research of FRCs as polymeric biomaterials in general and the majority of biomaterial research has focused on resorbable polymers and composites. This is paradoxical because FRCs can potentially resolve many of the problems related to traditional isotropic dental materials. This overview highlights the critical factors behind the successful use of FRC in fixed prosthodontics, especially in direct fixed prostheses.