Physical properties of three packable resin-composite restorative materials

This study evaluated selected physical properties of three packable resin composites (Alert, SureFil and Solitaire) and compared them to two conventional hybrid materials (Prodigy and Z-100). The specific properties investigated were diametral tensile strength, transverse strength, elastic modulus and fracture toughness. Following photopolymerization, specimens for each composite material were stored in deionized water at 37 degrees C for 35 days. A one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test were employed for each property to determine whether significant differences occurred with respect to specific restorative materials. All materials had statistically similar diametral tensile strengths. Alert had the highest mean fracture toughness and elastic modulus but had a low mean transverse-strength value. SureFil exhibited good mean physical property values compared to both the conventional and packable materials. Solitaire had low mean fracture toughness, transverse strength and elastic modulus values, which could cause concern regarding use in posterior restorations. The packable resin composites tested had a wide range of mean values for the physical properties investigated. Generally, Alert and SureFil were superior to Solitaire and comparable to the hybrid materials Prodigy and Z-100, but clear discrimination among performance of these materials requires clinical testing.