Tribological behavior and wear mechanisms of dental resin composites with different polymeric matrices

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different polymeric matrices and their crosslink density on the mechanical and tribological properties of three commercially available dental resin composites, including Filtek Z250XT, Charisma Classic, and Venus Diamond One. The mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by instrumented indentation. The results showed that the polymeric matrix composition has a significant effect on the hardness and elastic modulus of the resins. Wear resistance was investigated by reciprocating ball-on-plane tests in artificial saliva. Results show that the TCD-based resin composite has higher crosslinking density resulting in a more wear-resistant material. There was also a strong correlation between wear resistance and the mechanical properties of the resin composites when comparing similar fillers. These findings suggest that the wear resistance of resin composites can be improved by increasing their crosslinking density and enhancing their mechanical properties. The study provides insights into the design and development of more wear-resistant resin composites for dental applications.