material

That of which something is made or composed; the constituent element of a substance. [L. materialis, fr. materia, substance]

- base m. any substance from which a denture base may be made, such as shellac, acrylic resin, vulcanite, polystyrene, metal, etc.

- by-product m. radioactive m. produced by nuclear fission or by neutron irradiation in a nuclear reactor or similar device.

- certified reference m. (CRM) a reference m. documented by or traceable to a certificate or publication from a reputable source and that states the values of the properties concerned.

- contrast m. SYN: contrast medium.

- cross-reacting m. (CRM) a substance sufficiently different from a reference substance (R) to have a perceptibly different function from R, but similar enough to react with anti-R antibodies.

- dental m. any m. used in dentistry.

- genetic m. the carrier of hereditary information; in higher organisms it is duplex DNA.

- impression m. any substance or combination of substances used for making a negative reproduction or impression.

- plastic restoration m. in dentistry, any m. that may be shaped directly to the tooth cavity, such as amalgam, cement, or resin.

- restorative dental materials materials used to replace oral tissues in dentistry; e.g., amalgam, gold alloys, cements, porcelain, plastics, and denture materials.

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ma·te·ri·al (mə-tērґe-əl) substance or elements from which a concept may be formulated, or an object constructed.