Investigations on mechanical behaviour of dental composites

Since a direct comparison of composites efficacy in clinical studies is very difficult, our study aimed to analyse in laboratory tests under standardised and simulated clinical conditions a large variety of commercial composite materials belonging to eight different materials categories. Thus, 72 hybrid, nano-hybrid, micro-filled, packable, ormocer-based and flowable composites, compomers and flowable compomers were compared in terms of their mechanical behaviour. Flexural strength (FS), flexural modulus (FM), diametric tensile (DTS) and compressive strength (CS) were measured after the samples had been stored in water for 24 h at 37°C. Results were statistically analysed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey HSD post hoc test (α = 0.05) as well as partial η2 statistics. Large varieties between the tested materials within the same material category were found. The hybrid, nano-hybrid, packable and ormocer-based composites do not differ significantly among each other as a material type, reaching the highest FS values. Nano-hybrid composites are characterised by a good FS, the best DTS but a low FM. The lowest mechanical properties achieved the micro-filled hybrids. The flowable composites and compomers showed for all properties comparable result. Both flowable material categories do not differ significantly from the micro-filled composites for the most mechanical properties, showing only a higher DTS. The filler volume was shown to have the highest influence on the measured properties, inducing a maximum FS and FM at a level of 60%, whereas such dependence was not measured for DTS or CS. The influence of the type of material on the mechanical properties was significant but very low, showing the strongest influence on the CS.