A method and material for forming translucent
wear resistant dental enamel and the
dental enamel material formed which has an
opacity less than 50 percent and a localized wear
volume loss of less than 0.025 mm3. The
dental enamel material is formed from a polymerizable matrix and a filler. The material for forming translucent
wear resistant dental enamel having an
opacity less than 50 percent, a localized wear
volume loss of less than 0.025 mm3 and a localized
extended wear volume loss of less than 0.04 mm3, comprises a polymerizable matrix forming liquid and
inorganic filler particles. The liquid comprises polymerizable material having a first
refractive index. The filler comprising a first plurality of particles having a second
refractive index. The first plurality of particles being formed from a low and a high median particle size plurality of particles. The low median particle size plurality of particles having a median particle size between 0.1 and 1.0 micrometers. The high median particle size plurality of particles having a median particle size between 1 and 10 micrometers. The first
refractive index being within 5 percent of said second refractive index. More preferably the low median particle size plurality of particles have a median particle size between 0.3 and 0.7 micrometers, and said high median particle size plurality of particles have a median particle size between 1 and 2 micrometers. More preferably the filler further comprises a second plurality of filler particles having an average particle size of from about 0.01 to about 0.04 micrometers.