Effect of filler size on wear resistance of resin cement

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of filler size on the wear of resin cements. Materials tested included four experimental dual-cure resin cements (Kuraray) consisting of different-sized filler particles. A rectangular box cavity was prepared on the flattened occlusal surface of extracted human molars. Ceramic inlays for the cavities were fabricated using the Cerec 2 system. The Cerec inlays were cemented with the respective cements and adhesive systems according to the manufacturer's directions. The restored surface was finished by wet-grinding with an 800-grit silicon carbide paper. Six specimens were prepared for each resin cement. Half of the specimens were subjected to a three-body wear test for 200,000 cycles, and the others were subjected to a toothbrush abrasion test for 30,000 cycles. The worn surface of each restoration was scanned by a profilometer (Surfcom 475 A) at eight different points for each restoration. The wear value was determined by measuring the vertical gap depth on the profilometric tracings. The data were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe's test. The results showed that, with increase of filler size, the wear value decreased in the toothbrush test and increased in the three-body wear test. The cement with 0.04-microm filler exhibited the lowest wear value among the materials in the three-body wear test, and the same wear value as the cement with 0.97-microm filler in the toothbrush test. Based upon the results of this study, it is concluded that the wear of resin cements was affected by the filler size as well as the mode of wear test.