Most restorative materials are characterized by physical, chemical and mechanical parameters derived from test data. Improving these properties can be interesting in lab testing, but the real test is the material's performance in the mouth and the material's ability to be handled well by a team of dentists. In many cases, manipulation errors can undo technological advances in the material. Therefore, it is very important for the dental team to understand basic materials science and biomechanics in order to correctly select and handle dental materials.