Strength and fatigue of polyacid-modified restorative materials (compomers)

The purpose of this study was to compare the fatigue behavior of a hybrid composite, four compomers, and two viscous glass ionomers after short- and long-term soaking in distilled water. Bars with dimensions of 30 mm x 2 mm x 2 mm were formed in stainless steel molds, finished with 600 grit SiC, then soaked for either 24 h or one year, and tested in 3-point flexure at stressing rates between 0.001 and 2500 MPa s(-1). Data were plotted as fracture stress vs. stressing rate, and the exponent N in the power law for crack growth rate was computed from the slope of these plots. All compomer and resin composite materials tested exhibited subcritical crack growth (i.e. a reduction in strength with a decrease in stressing rate). Soaking lowered the slope for all materials, that is, increased the crack propagation rate. F2000 exhibited an increase in fracture strength while Hytac and Compoglass exhibited a decrease following long-term soaking in distilled water. Crack-growth exponents obtained from these fatigue data were used to estimate the stresses which would result in a five-year lifetime for these materials.