The effects of extreme temperatures on composite, compomer and ionomer restorations

The composite resin, compomer and glass ionomer restorative materials used in modern dental practice are fire resistant and remain radiopaque. They shrink significantly and are likely to fall out of the cavities after being burnt, but they remain extremely important for identification purposes and it may be possible to identify the white filling materials used to restore teeth by their radiopacity and morphology. The radiographic density of these filling materials do not change significantly when exposed to heat and although they may be difficult to see with the naked eye, they will remain visible when radiographed. Furthermore, special care has to be taken when handling heated materials as their compressive strengths decrease significantly depending on temperature and time of exposure and damage is possible.