Low-shrinkage dental restorative composite: modeling viscoelastic behavior during setting.

Much attention has been directed toward developing dental direct restorative composites that generate less shrinkage stress during setting. The aim of this study was to explore the viscoelastic behavior of a new class of low-shrinkage dental restorative composite during setting. The setting behavior of an experimental oxirane composite has been investigated by analyzing stress-strain data with two-parametric mechanical models. Experimental data were obtained from a dynamic test method, in which the setting light-activated composite was continuously subjected to sinusoidal strain cycles. The material parameters and the model's predictive capacity were analyzed with validated modeling procedures. The light-activated oxirane composite exhibited shrinkage delay and low polymerization shrinkage strain and stresses when compared with conventional light-activated composite. Noise in the stress data restricted the predictive ability of the Maxwell model to the elastic modulus development of the composite only. Evaluation tests of their potential as restorative material are required, to examine if the biocompatibility and mechanical properties after setting of oxirane composites are acceptable for dental use. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.