Composite Materials Used for Dental Fillings

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Dental composite fillings are crucial for restorative dentistry.
• Optimizing material properties like hardness and wear resistance is essential for longevity.
• Nano-hybrid composites and ormocer resins are advanced materials used in dental applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the surface geometry, hardness, wettability, and tribological behavior of ormocer-based dental composites against a traditional nano-hybrid composite.
• To evaluate the impact of ceramic enhancement on the properties of ormocer resins.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of nano-hybrid and ormocer-based composite samples with controlled nanofiller content.
• Microscopic analysis for surface geometry and roughness assessment.
• Mechanical testing for hardness evaluation.
• Contact angle measurements for wettability analysis.
• Tribological testing to determine friction coefficients and volumetric wear.

Main Results:

• Ormocer-based samples exhibited significantly greater surface roughness compared to the traditional composite.
• Ceramic-enhanced ormocer samples demonstrated superior hardness, exceeding the reference composite by 30% and 43%.
• Traditional composites were hydrophilic, while ceramic-containing ormocer samples were hydrophobic.
• The traditional composite showed better performance in terms of lower friction coefficients and reduced volumetric wear.

Conclusions:

• Ormocer-based dental composites present a trade-off between surface roughness and tribological properties.
• Ceramic enhancement improves hardness in ormocer resins but does not overcome the wear resistance limitations compared to traditional nano-hybrid composites.
• Material selection for dental fillings should consider the balance between surface characteristics, mechanical strength, and wear resistance for optimal clinical outcomes.