Flexural Properties, Wear Resistance, and Microstructural Analysis of Highly Filled Flowable Resin Composites

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Flowable resin composites are widely used in restorative dentistry.
• Evaluating the mechanical properties and wear resistance of highly filled flowable composites is crucial for clinical application.
• Understanding microstructural characteristics aids in predicting material performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the flexural properties and two-body wear resistance of nine highly filled flowable resin composites.
• To compare these properties against viscous and conventional low-filled flowable composites.
• To analyze the microstructural features using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of specimen bars for flexural strength, modulus, toughness, and Weibull analysis.
• Two-body wear testing using a chewing simulator for 120,000 cycles.
• SEM analysis of composite microstructures.
• Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests.

Main Results:

• Most highly filled composites demonstrated flexural strengths between 105.68 MPa and 135.49 MPa.
• Superior wear resistance was observed in highly filled composites compared to viscous types.
• Flexural moduli ranged from 5.12 GPa to 9.62 GPa, falling between viscous and low-filled composites.

Conclusions:

• Highly filled flowable composites exhibit varied in vitro properties.
• These materials often outperform viscous resin composites in key mechanical and wear resistance tests.
• The findings suggest potential clinical utility of these highly filled composites for posterior dental restorations.