Biological testing of dental materials: development of national and international standards.

Testing of dental materials helps to ensure that they are of satisfactory quality. Most standardized testing programs have focused on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the materials, and started at the National Bureau of Standards, USA, in 1919. The need for biological evaluation of dental materials became evident after some material-related adverse incidents. The first document concerning standardized testing of the biological properties of dental materials was published by the American Dental Association in 1972. During the last twenty-five years, increased attention has been focused on the evaluation of biological properties by standardized testing. The development of standards concerning biological testing of dental materials since 1972 at the national and international level is described.