Wear behaviour of different bioactive restorative materials

Dental wear is one of the most common causes of dental tissue deterioration and loss, especially in the posterior sectors restoration where the masticatory loads are higher. The tribology of dental materials is of great importance in the choice of restorative materials, especially in paediatric dentistry. Activa BioActive-Restorative (Pulpdent Corporation, Watertown, USA) is a recent bioactive ionic resin created with the aim of combining the mechanical and physical properties of composite materials with the chemical and biological advantages of glass ionomer cements. The aim of the present study was to test the wear resistance of Activa Bioactive Restorative in vitro by comparing it with two other bioactive materials, a compomer (Dyract eXtra, Dentsply Sirona, USA) and a giomer (Beautifil II LS, Shofu Dental Corporation, Japan).

Wear tests carried out on three bioactive materials were performed using the CSM Tribometer. Wear was evaluated using 3D topographies from which the wear volumes were contextually obtained. Finally, a gravimetric investigation was performed to evaluate the loss of mass suffered by the three bioactive materials following the wear test.

Activa Bioactive Restorative can be considered satisfactory in terms of wear resistance compared to the other materials. It could also be suggested for use in paediatric patients for its ease and speed of application, biocompatibility, safety and durability of the restoration.