Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate certain physical properties including surface wear of a new experimental short fiber-reinforced flowable resin composite (SFRC) in comparison with different commercial flowable bulk fill resin composites (SDR, Tetric EvoFlow Bulk Fill, Filtek Bulk Fill Flowable and Estelite Bulk Fill Flow). The following properties were examined according to ISO standard: flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, water sorption, volumetric shrinkage, and depth of cure. Degree of conversion (DC%) was determined by FTIR spectrometry. A wear test was conducted with 15000 chewing cycles using a dual-axis chewing simulator. Wear depth was measured by a three-dimensional (3D) noncontact optical profilometer. Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the microstructure of SFRC. Data were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance ANOVA (p = 0.05). SFRC exhibited the highest fracture toughness (2.8 MPa m1/2) and flexural strength (146.5 MPa) values (p < 0.05) and the greatest depth of cure (5 mm) and lowest wear depth (18.2 µm) among the flowable bulk fill materials tested. SDR showed the lowest volumetric shrinkage percentage (2.9%), while the other resin composites had comparable volumetric shrinkage values (p > 0.05). The new short fiber-reinforced flowable resin composite differed significantly in its measured fracture toughness compared to the tested flowable bulk fill resin composites.
Highlights
The use of light-cured resin composites for restoring cavities in stress-bearing posterior teeth has increased rapidly in recent years [1]
analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the short fiber-reinforced flowable resin composite (SFRC) flow resin composite had a statistically significantly higher fracture toughness (2.8 MPa m1/2), flexural strength (146.5 MPa), and flexural modulus (9 GPa) than all other tested resin composites (p < 0.05)
The new experimental short fiber-reinforced flowable resin composite (SFRC) exhibited significantly higher fracture toughness (2.8 MPa m1/2) and flexural strength (146.5 MPa) values than all other tested materials. This is in accordance with Lassila et al and Shouha et al studies, which showed superior fracture toughness and flexural properties of experimental short fiber reinforced flowable resin composite compared to conventional particulate filler resin composites [7, 23]
Summary
The use of light-cured resin composites for restoring cavities in stress-bearing posterior teeth has increased rapidly in recent years [1]. The improved handling characteristics have resulted in an increased popularity of flowable conventional and flowable bulk-fill resin composites. Insufficient material properties limited the success of composite restorations in high stress. Volumetric shrinkage of the resin composites averages from 1.5 to 6% [8]. Such shrinkage induces contraction stress at the interface between resin composite and walls of cavity leading to gap formation and a predisposition for secondary caries. Different measurement techniques were used to follow and to understand this phenomenon, including the mercury dilatometric technique, the
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