Dental Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Dental, including details on implants, health, hygiene, cosmetic, dentistry. | ||||||||
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Effect of fiber volume fraction and length on the wear characteristics of glass fiber-reinforced dental composites.Callaghan DJ, Vaziri A, Nayeb-Hashemi H Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the wear characteristics of fiber-reinforced dental composites. Variables under investigation include the fiber weight percent added to the matrix as well as fiber length. METHODS: Dental specimens with glass fiber content of 2, 5.1, 5.7, and 7.6 wt% with fiber length of either 1.5 or 3 mm, were prepared by mixing an activated dental resin with commercial glass fibers. The specimens were then tested on a pin on disc setup, where the antagonist disc was manufactured of a similar fiber-reinforced composite with 5.1 wt% fiber and fiber length of 3 mm. The volume loss and coefficient of friction of the specimens was monitored periodically throughout testing. In addition, the wear surfaces of all specimens were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: The specimens with 5.7 wt% fibers and fiber length of 3 mm performed better in this study compared to all other fiber-reinforced specimens under all load conditions. In fact, this specimen had a comparable wear rate to a particle-filled dental composite. For the fiber lengths considered, increasing the length of the fibers increased the wear resistance of the specimen. The coefficient of friction showed a good correlation with the wear resistance of specimens. SIGNIFICANCE: Fiber-reinforced composites demonstrated a high resistance to wear and may therefore be advantageous for dental applications, where high wear resistance is essential to functionality. Published 19 December 2005 in Dent Mater, 22(1): 84-93.
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