Handling of mechanical stresses in composite restorations

The origin of stress in adhesive resin composite restorations is attributed to restrained shrinkage during polymerization and is dependent on the configuration of the restoration. Moreover, non-homogeneous deformations during functional loading can damage the interface as well as the coherence of the material. Damage from these stresses can be reduced by application of an elastic lining at the adhesive interfaces and by slowing the initial conversion by two-step light initiation of the resin. The various factors that mediate flow and compliance are discussed.