Physical properties of three packable resin-composite restorative materials

This study evaluated selected physical properties of three packable resin c omposites (Alert, SureFil and Solitaire) and compared them to two conventio nal hybrid materials (Prodigy and 2100), The specific properties investigat ed were diametral tensile strength, transverse strength, elastic modulus an d fracture toughness. Following photopolymerization, specimens for each com posite material were stored in deionized water at 37 degrees C for 35 days. A one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test were employed for each property to determine whether significant differences occurred with respect to speci fic restorative materials. All materials had statistically similar diametral tensile strengths. Alert had the highest mean fracture toughness and elastic modulus but had a low m ean transverse-strength value. SureFil exhibited good mean physical propert y values compared to both the conventional and packable materials. Solitair e had low mean fracture toughness, transverse strength and elastic modulus values, which could cause concern regarding use in posterior restorations. The packable resin composites tested had a wide range of mean values for th e physical properties investigated. Generally, Alert and SureFil were super ior to Solitaire and comparable to the hybrid materials Prodigy and Z-100, but clear discrimination among performance of these materials requires clin ical testing.