Ceramic materials that are specially developed for use as medical and dental implants are termed bioceramics. They include alumina and zirconia, bioactive glasses, glass-ceramics, coatings and composites, hydroxyapatite and resorbable calcium phosphates, and radiotherapy glasses. This is the first textbook in a field which is growing rapidly in clinical applications including orthopedics, otolaryngology, maxillo-facial and plastic surgery, oral surgery, periodontology, and tumor therapy. Fourteen chapters, written by world experts, describe the processing, compositions, properties, surface chemistry, tissue response, and clinical applications. There are also chapters on characterization and quality assurance testing, and the procedures that must be followed to satisfy regulatory requirements. A forecast of the future needs of the field and Appendices that summarize the relevant standards and test methods complete this unique book. The purpose of the book is to summarize and synthesize the very large and disparate body of literature in the field. Thus, it is easy to use as a textbook for an undergraduate or first year graduate course, or short industrial course, or as a reference source.
