No-Cap Flowable Bulk-Fill Composite: Physico-Mechanical Assessment

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Flowable bulk-fill resin-based composites (BF-RBCs) are designed for simplified dental restorations.
• Palfique Bulk Flow (PaBF) is a newer BF-RBC material marketed for potential use without a capping layer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the flexural strength, microhardness, surface roughness, and color stability of PaBF.
• To compare PaBF against two other BF-RBCs: SDR Flow composite (SDRf) and One Bulk fill (OneBF).

Main Methods:

• Materials tested: PaBF, SDRf, and OneBF.
• Evaluated properties: Flexural strength (universal testing machine), microhardness (Vickers indenter), surface roughness (optical profiler), and color stability (spectrophotometer).
• Tested under simulated water storage conditions.

Main Results:

• OneBF exhibited superior flexural strength and microhardness compared to PaBF and SDRf.
• PaBF and SDRf showed significantly lower surface roughness than OneBF.
• Water storage negatively impacted flexural strength and increased surface roughness for all materials.
• SDRf displayed a significant color change after water storage.

Conclusions:

• The physico-mechanical properties of PaBF suggest it is not suitable for stress-bearing areas without a capping layer.
• PaBF's lower flexural strength compared to OneBF indicates limitations for its application.
• The use of PaBF should be restricted to small restorations with minimal occlusal stress.