Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr.

Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Lec. 10
Polymeric Restorative Materials
The first material developed for use as a direct esthetic restorative was silicate
cement. Introduced in the late 1800s, the cement was prepared from an
alumina-silica glass and a phosphoric acid liquid. Highly soluble in oral fluids,
silicate deteriorated rapidly, yet remained the favored material until the early
1950s. Its main advantage was the slow release of fluoride from the glass
phase. Self-curing unfilled acrylic resins were introduced around 1945 as a
substitute for silicate cement and were in moderate use in the 1950s. These
materials were related to denture base resins and were much less soluble and
more color stable than silicates. These are supplied as a powder and liquid,
which are mixed together. They were easy to use, polishable, and had good
initial esthetics. Their main problems were high shrinkage upon
polymerization, large thermal dimensional change, eventual discoloration,
and a high wear rate.
Advantages: The acrylic resin materials are less erosion than silicates. They
have low solubility over a wide range of pH values. They are less acidic than
silicates though cannot be considered biologically bland due to the presence
of residual methylmethacrylate monomer. They are less brittle than silicates
although their mechanical properties are far from ideal.
Disadvantages: Although the acrylic materials do not contain any strong
acids, some products contain methacrylic acid, used to modify setting
characteristics, and all contain a certain level of residual methylmethacrylate
monomer that is irritant. This, coupled with a significant temperature rise
during setting caused by a highly exothermic polymerisation reaction,
necessitates the use of a protective cavity base material. The material of choice
is a setting calcium hydroxide type. Products containing eugenol should be
avoided since they retard the setting of the resin and cause discoloration.
Composite materials
A composite material is a product that consists of at least two distinct phases
normally formed by blending together components having different structures

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
and properties. The purpose of this is to produce a material having properties
that could not be achieved from any of the individual components alone.

Classification and composition of composites

The two main components of composite filling materials are the resin phase
and the reinforcing filler.

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Filler composition
Filler particles are of inorganic composition. In addition to quartz, fine-sized
particles may be composed of barium or lithium aluminum silicate glasses;
borosilicate glass; or barium, strontium, or zinc glasses. Particles in
microfilled composites are colloidal silica. The beneficial properties
contributed by the filler are rigidity, hardness, strength and a lower value for
the coefficient of thermal expansion. In addition, if the filler occupies a
significant proportion of the volume of a composite material it markedly
lowers setting contraction.
Composites may be made radiopaque by incorporating elements of high
atomic weight, such as barium, strontium, or zirconium, into the filler particle.
The effect of filler depends on the type, shape, size and amount of filler
incorporated and, often, the existence of efficient coupling between the filler
and resin. Polymerization may be activated chemically, by mixing two
components, one of which typically contains an initiator and the other an
activator, or by an external ultraviolet or visible light source. Light-activated
materials are generally supplied as a single paste which contains monomers,
comonomers, filler and an initiator which is unstable in the presence of either
ultraviolet (UV) or high intensity visible light.

Polished surface of dental composite showing filler particles

embedded in a matrix of resin

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Organic matrix
The organic polymer matrix in currently available composites is most
commonly an aromatic or urethane diacrylate oligomer such as bisphenol A
glycidyl methacrylate (bis-GMA) or urethane-dimethacrylate (UDMA).
The oligomers have in common reactive double bonds at each end of the
molecule, which are able to undergo addition polymerization in the presence
of free radicals. The oligomer molecules are highly viscous and require the
addition of low-molecular-weight diluent monomers, usually triethylene
glycol dimethacrylate (TEGMA), so a clinically workable consistency may be
maintained upon the incorporation of the filler.

Coupling agents
A bond between filler particle and matrix in the set composite is achieved by
use of an organic silicon compound, or silane coupling agent. The silane
molecule has reactive groups at both its ends and is coated on the filler particle
surface by the manufacturer before mixing with the oligomer. During
polymerization, double bonds on the silane molecule also react with the
polymer matrix. A bond between filler and matrix allows the distribution of
stresses generated under function. The net result is a material with strength
properties greater than those of the particulate filler or the matrix separately.
Bonding also enhances the retention of the filler particle during abrasive
action at the composite surface. As a result, hard filler particles, in addition to
soft matrix, are present to engage in abrasive wear with opposing enamel, for
example, greatly improving the wear resistance of the material.
A composite is a material composed of two or more distinct phases. Resin
composites for dental use were formulated to combine the esthetics and ease
of use of a polymerizable resin base with the improved properties to be gained
from the addition of a ceramic filler. Resin composites are often classified
according to the size of the ceramic filler particle.
Fine-particle resin composites contain ground glass or quartz particles 0.5 to
3.0 um in diameter, which occupy 60% to 77% of the composite by volume.
Since the filler has a density greater than that of the polymer matrix, the
fraction of the filler by weight is higher, about 70% to 90%. Particles present
may be of uniform diameter or have a distribution of diameters, in which case

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
smaller particles fit in the spaces between larger particles, and packing is more
efficient.
Microfilled resin composites contain spherical colloidal silica particles 0.01
to 0.12 um in diameter. Heavily filled microfilled composites have a filler
content of 32% to 66% by volume or about 40% to 80% by weight.
Hybrid (or blend) resin composites have a combination of colloidal and fine
particles as filler. The colloidal particles fill the matrix between fine particles,
resulting in a filler content of around 60% to 65% by volume.
Microhybrid resin composites, the generic term for advanced composites, are
a combination of a microfilled and fine-particle composite and are so called
because of their small-diameter (0.4 to 1.0 um) filler particles. They were
recently introduced as all-purpose "universal" composites offering both
esthetics and superior wear resistance for use in anterior and posterior
applications working.

Clinical characteristics and selection of resin composites

Microfilled Microhybrid Fine particle
Filler size 0.01-0.12 um 0.01-3.0 um 0.5-3.0 um
Appearance Optical properties Good gloss, luster, Opaque appearance
similar to enamel and smoothness
Polishability Highly polishable Polishable Semi polishable
Usage Non-stress-bearing Anterior and Core buildups,
esthetic posterior conservative
restorations* restorations posterior
restorations

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi
Finishing and polishing
Once material is placed, there will usually be a requirement for finishing and
polishing in some form, either as a consequence of marginal excess or to
define and refine the position and pattern of tooth-to-tooth contact.
Composites can be finished immediately after placement using rotary cutting
tools, burs, discs and strips. The objective of polishing is to produce as smooth
a surface as possible whilst maintaining the required morphology of the
restoration. Microfilled composites are inherently more polishable than those
with larger/harder filler particles. One secondary benefit of the polishing
process is an increased toughness of the surface layer of the composite. This
is due to local heating when using rubber or disc-based abrasives without
water cooling.

Instruments and devices used for shaping, contouring and

polishing composite filling materials.

Acid-etch systems for bonding to enamel

The surface of enamel is smooth and has little potential for bonding by
micromechanical attachment. On treatment with certain acids, however, the
structure of the enamel surface may be modified considerably. Solutions of
phosphoric acid are difficult to control when applied to enamel, some acid
inevitably contacts areas which are not required to be etched. One
improvement in acid etching procedures has been the development of
acidified gels. These contain phosphoric acid in aqueous gel which is viscous
enough to allow controlled placement in the required area.
Many manufacturers supply a fluid bonding resin which may enhance the
adhesive bond strength.

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi

Scanning electron micrograph of the surface of enamel after

etching with 37% phosphoric acid followed by rinsing and drying (×2000 magnification).

Pack of enamel bonding agent containing etching agent (37% phosphoric acid)
and two fluid resins which begin to polymerize on mixing. Modern materials
contain a single resin which is light activated

Fissure sealants
Are now widely used for preventing pit and fissure caries. The majority of
products are based on dimethacrylate resin systems such as Bis GMA or
urethane dimethacrylate. The simplest products consist of two liquid
components, each containing the dimethacrylate monomer or a mixture of the
monomer and a diluent monomer such as triethylene glycol dimethacrylate.
In addition, one component contains a peroxide initiator whilst the other
contains an amine activator. The normal procedure is to mix together one drop
of each liquid component in order to activate the polymerization of the
methacrylate groups.

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Dental Materials Assis. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Alfahdawi

Pack of fissure sealant material which is similar in composition

to the enamel bonding agent