The Effect of Amount Variation of Dental Polyethylene Fiber on Flexural Strength of Fiber Reinforced Composite

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs) are a relatively new group of materials among those that have been investigated in dental or medical applications over the last 40 years. Their use is growing in many dental applications, including dental implant-supported prostheses. With recent advancements in adhesive technology, new and stronger composite materials, and the development of bondable polyethylene fiber, then it is possible to create a conservative, highly esthetic prosthesis that is bonded directly to the teeth on either side of the missing teeth. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of the amount variation of polyethylene fiber on the flexural strength of the reinforced composite. Eight samples of polyethylene fiber-reinforced composites (FRCs), which were divided into 2 groups: Group I, which includes 4 specimens of 1 strip polyethylene fiber, and Group II, which includes 4 specimens of 2 strips of polyethylene fiber. Also, each specimen was subjected to a 3-point bend test of flexural strength on a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/minute, with loading until failure. The results were analyzed by T-Test. The results show that there were significant differences according to the amount which show discloses the P-value (0.001), which less than 0.05 (P<0.05). Thus, that leads to there is significant differences in the level of samples among polyethylene fiber 1 strip (1S) and polyethylene fibers 2 strips (2S). It can be concluded that there is an effect of amount variations of polyethylene fiber-reinforced composite on the flexural strength.