PURPOSE: To evaluate different resin-based composites using a variety of in vitro investigation methods to predict their clinical behavior. METHODS: Materials selected for this study were Heliomolar radiopaque (microfilled), Tetric Ceram, Pertac II (minifilled hybrids), Ariston pHc (ion releasing hybrid), and Solitaire I (hybrid with porous fillers). The evaluated in vitro criteria were three-body wear according to the ACTA method, microtensile bond strengths to enamel and dentin, flexural strength (four-point bending strength), flexural fatigue behavior (flexural fatigue limit), and calcium ion release (for Ariston pHc). RESULTS: Concerning wear resistance, Ariston pHc (20.5 microm after 200,000 cycles) was inferior to the other materials (13.7-15.9 microm). Microtensile bond strengths to dentin were similar for Heliomolar (32.0 MPa), Tetric Ceram (30.4 MPa; both bonded with Syntac Classic), and Pertac II (30.8 MPa; bonded with EBS Multi) being above Solitaire I (22.5 MPa; bonded with Solidbond) being above Ariston pHc (13.2 MPa; bonded with Ariston Liner). Enamel bond strengths for Heliomolar (40.0 MPa), Tetric Ceram (36.5 MPa), and Pertac II (38.9 MPa) were significantly higher than for Solitaire I (26.6 MPa) which was above Ariston pHc (7.2 MPa). Heliomolar, Tetric Ceram, and Pertac II revealed higher micro-TBS to enamel than to dentin, Ariston showed the contrary, and Solitare exhibited no difference between enamel and dentin micro-TBS. Solitaire I exhibited a lower initial flexural strength than the other materials, the computed fatigue strength of the material even dropped to the level of glass ionomer cements (17.9 MPa). Long-term calcium release data for Ariston exhibited a continuously high calcium release becoming lower at the end of the observation beyond 21 months.
PURPOSE: To evaluate different resin-based composites using a variety of in vitro investigation methods to predict their clinical behavior. METHODS: Materials selected for this study were Heliomolar radiopaque (microfilled), Tetric Ceram, Pertac II (minifilled hybrids), Ariston pHc (ion releasing hybrid), and Solitaire I (hybrid with porous fillers). The evaluated in vitro criteria were three-body wear according to the ACTA method, microtensile bond strengths to enamel and dentin, flexural strength (four-point bending strength), flexural fatigue behavior (flexural fatigue limit), and calcium ion release (for Ariston pHc). RESULTS: Concerning wear resistance, Ariston pHc (20.5 microm after 200,000 cycles) was inferior to the other materials (13.7-15.9 microm). Microtensile bond strengths to dentin were similar for Heliomolar (32.0 MPa), Tetric Ceram (30.4 MPa; both bonded with Syntac Classic), and Pertac II (30.8 MPa; bonded with EBS Multi) being above Solitaire I (22.5 MPa; bonded with Solidbond) being above Ariston pHc (13.2 MPa; bonded with Ariston Liner). Enamel bond strengths for Heliomolar (40.0 MPa), Tetric Ceram (36.5 MPa), and Pertac II (38.9 MPa) were significantly higher than for Solitaire I (26.6 MPa) which was above Ariston pHc (7.2 MPa). Heliomolar, Tetric Ceram, and Pertac II revealed higher micro-TBS to enamel than to dentin, Ariston showed the contrary, and Solitare exhibited no difference between enamel and dentin micro-TBS. Solitaire I exhibited a lower initial flexural strength than the other materials, the computed fatigue strength of the material even dropped to the level of glass ionomer cements (17.9 MPa). Long-term calcium release data for Ariston exhibited a continuously high calcium release becoming lower at the end of the observation beyond 21 months.