Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter With a background in physics and material science, Yu Zhang has joined the School of Dental Medicine to advance the way dentists restore oral health. Yu Zhang joined the Penn Dental Medicine faculty last year, bringing a wealth of expertise in physics and engineering to complement the School’s existing strengths.
In general, ceramics don’t have a reputation for being a rough-and-tumble material. Rather they seem prone to damage: Imagine a vase or decorative dish, for example, capable of shattering with an errant knock.
Yet ceramics, specifically a material called zirconium dioxide, or zirconia for short, is much stronger than those decorative objects, and has become increasingly relied upon in dentistry. Used in crowns, bridges, and other applications, the resulting products can restore function and beauty to patients’ smiles.