 The first translucent filling materials,

was introduced in 1878 by Fletcher in

England
 It was used extensively to restore
cavities in anterior teeth for over 60
years
 It include the reactions of phosphoric acid with
acid soluble glass particle(alumino silicate glass)
to form silica gel matrix containing residual glass
particles
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
 tooth colored • Erosion
 fluoride content • Discoloration
• Weak and brittle
• Loss of contour
• Rough surface
• High solubility
• Moisture sensitive
 Next fillings in the history of dental
materials
 Also called unfilled resin
 ADVANTAGES: DISADVANTAGES:

 Tooth colored  MMA monomer as Irritant

 Didn’t washed out (pulpitis)
 Less erosion  Setting contraction (6% )
 Less acidic  Exothermic reaction
 Good thermal insulator  Greater co-efficient of
thermal expansion
 Low modulus of elasticity
A composite is any material that is
composed off hard, pebble-like
filler particles similar to sand or
pebbles, surrounded by a hard
matrix of a second material which
binds the filler particles together
 A better or unique combination of
properties is realized when different
materials (or phases) are combined
 The primary needs for all the
advanced
composites are:
light weight, higher operating
temperatures, greater stiffness, higher
reliability and affordability
 INDICATIONS CONTRAINDICATIONS
1. Class I, II, III, IV, V, VI 1. Poor isolation
restorations 2. Root carries
2. Core buildups
3. Pits and fissure
sealants
4. Diastema closure
5. Direct veneering
6. Cementations
7. Periodontal splinting
 ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

1. Pleasant esthetics 1. Polymerization

2. Minimum cavity prep shrinkage (2-5%)
3. Bond with tooth 2. Technique sensitive
structure 3. Occlusal wearing
4. Good thermal 4. Discoloration
insulator 5. Water sorption
5. Good strength 6. Require good isolation
7. Expensive
 interface interface

interface

DISPERSED PHASE
interface

CONTINUOUS PHASE

Coupling Agent
 Bis-GMA
 Many system are based on an aromatic
dimethacrylate system, the monomer being the
reaction of bisphenol-A and glycidyl metahcrylate,
often called bis-GMA or BOWEN’S RESIN
 It is difunctional
 Two disadvantages of bis-GMA are its questionable
color stability and high viscosity
 It undergo less volumetric shrinkage(6-7%) as
compare to MMA(21%)
 UDMA
 Some products use alternative monomers which are
described as urethane dimethacrylates. The
properties are in general similar to bis-GMA. These
monomers have relatively low viscosity and do not
require the use of a diluent monomer.
 These monomers are included to
 reduce the viscosity of the material to enable proper
blending with the inorganic constituents.
 facilitate clinical manipulation.
 Difunctional monomers (EDMA, TDMA)
are usually preferred to monofunctional
ones because:
 Less shrinkage on polymerisation.
 More cross linked structure, which is harder and
stronger, and lower coefficient of thermal expansion.
 Give polymers with lower water absorption.
 HMW : LMW
 70% : 30%
 Greater quantities of diluent monomers
give composite materials of lower
viscosity and good manipulation, but
also with greater shrinkage on
polymerisation.
 commonly used fillers include
fused silica
quartz
Glass
 Pure silica occurs in crystalline
(crystobalite, tridymite, quartzs) and in a
noncrystalline form(glass)
 Crystalline forms are stronger and harder,
but when used result in composites that
are difficult to finish and polish
 Most composite are now produced using
modified silicate glass
ROLE OF FILLERS

 Improvements in mechanical properties such

as compressive strength, modulus of
elasticity and hardness,
 Reduction in coefficient of thermal expansion,
 Contribution to the aesthetics (glass particles
are able to modify the optical appearance of
the composite) so as to match the colour of
the surrounding tooth material,
 Reduction in the contraction on setting,
 Less heat evolved in polymerisation,
 The composite is radio-opaque if barium or
strontium glasses are used.
 By adding any one of following:
› Barium
› Zinc
› Boron
› Zirconium
› yttrium
 Name:
 gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy
silane
 Role:
 filler particle bonds to the resin matrix via a
coupling agent
 Importance:
 improve the physical properties
The silane reduces hydrolytic breakdown and
allows stress transfer between the filler and matrix
 Structure:
These agents have double bonding sites; unite the
organic matrix to the inorganic fillers
 Name
› Hydroquinone
 Properties
› Inhibitors prevent polymerization on
storage
› It is responsible for causing discoloration of
the material
 Chemical activation
 U.V. light activation
 Visible light activation.
1. INITIATOR
Benzoyl peroxide
2. ACTIVATORS
Tertiary amine
○ N,N-dihydroxyethyl-p-toluidine (widely used)
○ N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine
 Benzoin methyl ether is used as
initiator
 On application of u.v. light of appropriate
wavelength, energy is absorbed and free
radicals are generated to initiate
polymerisation
 This system has now been superseded by
visible light curing because of:
› Limited depth of polymerisation,
› Layering techniques attempting to overcome this
problem may cause faults within the material,
› Potential harmful effects such as skin cancer and
eye damage.
 Initiator system comprises a mixture of a
diketone and an amine
 Camphorquinone is a commonly used
initiator which rapidly forms free
radicals in the presence of an amine and
radiation of the correct wavelength (460-
485nm) and intensity
 Camphorquinone absorbs photon of light
energy, predominently at 474nm
 Phenyl propanedione
 Leucirin TPO
 2-hydroxy-4-
methoxybenzophenone
 Stabilizer is used to prevent
discolouration with age of composites,
compounds are incorporated which
absorb electromagnetic radiation. This
improves colour stability.
 BASIS OF FILLERS QUANTITY
 BASIS OF FILLERS SIZE
 BASIS OF METHOD OF FILLERS
ADDITION
 BASIS OF MATRIX COMPOSITION
 BASIS OF POLYMERISATION METHOD
 Conventional (75% filler, good mechanical
properties, poor esthetics)
 Microfill(35% filler, poor mechanical
properties, good esthetics)
 Hybrid(80% filler, good mechanical and
esthetic property)
 Flowable (low filler, poor mechanical
properties)
 Packable(highly viscous)
 Nanofill(very good mechanical and esthetics)
This classification system by Bayne and others, based on particle size, was
introduced in 1994.
Term Particle size

Mega fillers (Megafill) 0.5 – 2 millimeters

Macro fillers (Macrofill) 10 – 100 microns

fillers (Midifill) 1 – 10 microns

Mini fillers (Minifill) 0.1 – 1 microns

Micro fillers (Microfill) 0.01 -0.1 microns

Nano fillers (Nanofill) 0.001-0.01 microns

 HOMOGENEOUS COMPOSITE
› If the composite simply consists of filler
particles and uncured matrix material
 HETEROGENEOUS COMPOSITE
› When precured composite include in
uncured composite
 Bis – GMA based
 UDMA based
 It can be classified as:
› Chemically (Self) cured
› Photocured which is subdivided into two
groups
 Ultraviolet (UV) light cured
 Visible light (VL) cured
› Dual cured: Another type of composite has
been developed in which curing is initiated
by visible light but the reaction continues by
chemical means so that curing is completed
in areas where access of light is difficult.
 Quartz-Tungsten-Halogen (QTH)
 Plasma-Arc (PAC)
 Lasers
 Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
 Camphoroquinone is used in most
composites
 It absorb photons of light energy
predominently at wavelength of 474nm

 Others include
 Phenyl propanedione (PPD)
 Lucirin TPO
 ADVANTAGES
•Broad emission spectrum
(polymerize all kind of resins)
•Inexpensive
DISADVANTAGES
•Heat generation
•Limited depth of cure
•Limited life span (100 hours)
•Can cause pulpal death if
temperature raise 5.6 *C
•band pass filters are required
to limit the wavelength
between 370 to 550nm
•Only 5% of total energy is
visible
•Consume more time for
curing
QTH VISIBLE LIGHT CURING UNIT
 INTRAPULPAL HEAT,

INTENSITY
GINGIVAL IRRITATION

band-pass

band-pass
filter

filter
UV

IR
UV Visible CQ IR
WAVELENGTH (nm)

• Power Supply
• Cycle Timer (Circuit Board)
• Bulb / Reflector
• Filter
• Fan
• Fiber-Optic Train
ABSORPTION RANGE OF CAMPHOROQUINONE
 ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
• Heat produced in backward • Expansive
direction • Limited wavelength emission
•Good depth of cure spectrum (not cure all types of
•No need of cooling fan resins)
•good working life (several
thousand hours)
•No filters required
•15% of total energy is visible
• less curing time needed
 LED LIGHTS
Light Emitting Diodes

180-1100
mW/cm2
INTENSITY

Advantages:
Matched to CQ peak.
Reduced “I” needed.
Easy to clean.
Totally quiet; No fan.
Small; Handy.
No wires.

Visible CQ

WAVELENGTH (nm)
FACTORS AFFECTING CURE
Equipment + Procedural + Restorative Factors

• Bulb frosting or degradation

• Light reflector degradation
• Optical filter degradation
• Fiber-optic bundle breakage
• Light-guide fracture
Curing Equipment • Tip contamination by resin buildup
Factors • Line voltage inconsistencies
• Sterilization problems
• Infection control barriers

Procedural • Light tip direction

• Access to restoration
Factors • DISTANCE from surface
• Size of tip
• Tip movement
• TIME of exposure
Restoration • Restoration thickness
Factors • Cavity design
• Filler - amount and size
• Restoration shade
• Monomer ratios
FACTORS THAT CAN EFFECT
POLYMERIZATION PROCESS
 Full power cure - (intensity of light is
uniform)
 Oscillating - ( light source turns on and off)
 Step cure - (step-like increase of intensity)
 Pulse delay - ( 10 sec. cure, then delay
minutes before finishing cure)
 Ramp cure (soft star) – (gradual increase of
light intensity)
 Custom cure – (light intensity wave during
20 sec)
VARIOUS CURING METHODS
FINISHING AND POLISHING
SURFACE ROUGHNESS = Ra
Original Average up-and-down geometry =
rough
surface 20  m 2 m 0.2  m
COARSE
finished FINE
finished Polished

Significant New surface Fine grooves Smearing and

material approximates burnishing to
removal abrasive size smoothen surface

TWO CRITICAL FACTORS for Finishing and Polishing:

(1) Abrasive size
(2) Filler particle size
 Configuration factor : it is the ratio
between bonded and unbonded
surface

 C – factor = bonded surface

unbonded surface
 Class 1 cavity = 5/1 = 5
 Class 2 cavity =4/2 = 2
 Class 3 cavity = 3/3 = 1
 Class 4 cavity = 2/4 = 0.5
 Class 5 cavity = 1/5 = 0.2
 FACTERS THAT DECREASE SHRINKAGE
› INCREMENTAL TECHNIQUE
› USE OF FLOWABLE COMPOSITE AS LINER
› USE OF OTHER LINER OR BASE
› USE OF HETEROGENOUS COMPOSITE
› ALTERNATIVE LIGHT CURING REGIMES
› INCREASE INHIBITOR IN COMPOSITE
› INCREASE FILLERS IN COMPOSITE
› USE COMPOSITE WITH SILORANE BASED
RESINS (FILTAK P - 90)