Manufacturers of dental restorative materials are now concentrating on creating a bonded material that has the favorable properties of both glass ionomer and composite resin, combined with the wear resistance and fracture toughness of metallic restorations. The result has been the creation of a new composite material, now referred to as "compomer." The compomer is a pioneer material in this family. It combines the fluoride-releasing chemistry of a glass ionomer with the esthetics and structural properties of a composite into a mono-component restorative material. Accompanying the development...