Physical properties and depth of cure of a new short fiber reinforced composite

Objectives. To determine the physical properties and curing depth of a new short fiber composite intended for posterior large restorations (everX Posterior) in comparison to different commercial posterior composites (Alert, TetricEvoCeram Bulk Fill, Voco X-tra base, SDR, Venus Bulk Fill, SonicFill, Filtek Bulk Fill, Filtek Superme, and Filtek Z250). In addition, length of fiber fillers of composite XENIUS base compared to the previously introduced composite Alert has been measured. Materials and methods. The following properties were examined according to ISO standard 4049: flexural strength, flexural modulus, fracture toughness, polymerization shrinkage and depth of cure. The mean and standard deviation were determined and all results were statistically analyzed with analysis of variance ANOVA (a = 0.05). Results. XENIUS base composite exhibited the highest fracture toughness (4.6 MPa m(1/2)) and flexural strength (124.3 MPa) values and the lower shrinkage strain (0.17%) among the materials tested. Alert composite revealed the highest flexural modulus value (9.9 GPa), which was not significantly different from XENIUS base composite (9.5 GPa). Depth of cure of XENIUS base (4.6 mm) was similar than those of bulk fill composites and higher than other hybrid composites. The length of fiber fillers in XENIUS base was longer (1.3-2 mm) than in Alert (20-60 mu m). Conclusions. The new short fiber composite differed significantly in its physical properties compared to other materials tested. This suggests that the latter could be used in high-stress bearing areas. (C) 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.