Hybrid Dental Composites Biomechanical Properties

Abstract

In the last two decades, both general and oral health status became more important for individuals, being associated to their quality of life, social provenance and income. Society�s evolution is associated to high expectations regarding edentulous and decays treatment. Metal filling such as gaudent or amalgam have been replaced by aesthetic materials, to achieve similarity to the patient�s genuine biological tissue. Along with the aesthetic demand, dental materials have to fulfill biocompatibility and mechanical properties proximate to healthy soft either hard tissues. Composite materials have the advantages of accomplishing biological and mechanical demands and to be accessible financially, compared to ceramics. Composites are classified according to the main monomer, filling, particles� dimension, addition of external molecules, this entirety having a direct influence on materials� properties. The objective of this prospective interventional in vitro study was to evaluate biomechanical properties of four different hybrid composites: Premise direct™ - Premise indirect™ (Kerr, Orange, California, USA), Gradia� Direct (GC, Alsip, Illinois, USA) and Ceramage� (SHOFU Dental, Ratinger, Germany). Vickers microhardness, compressive strenght, direct tensile strenght, water absorption and solubility were assessed. The results showed that microfilled hybrid composites UDMA (urethane dimethacrylate)-based monomer had the highest evaluations regarding Vickers microhardness, compressive strenght and tensile strenght, whereas water absorption was the highest for nanofilled hybrid Bis-GMA (bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate)/TEGDMA (triethylene glycol dimethacrylate), and solubility for microfilled hybrid UDMA based monomer.