Composites are popular for tooth restorations due to their aesthetic appeal, mechanical properties, and low cytotoxicity. However, they have drawbacks like polymerization shrinkage stress and viscosity. Flowable composites minimize gaps but may cause higher shrinkage. Bulk-fill composite resins offer improved physical properties and wear resistance, while VisCalor® bulk is a new approach,
which is a high-viscosity composite material that can be converted to be flowable by heating in a heater or dispenser. According to the null hypothesis, preheating high-viscosity bulk fil composite resin will increase its wear resistance and marginal adaptability. The study involves assessing linear gap and wear in extracted molar teeth using Class I prepared cavities. The cavities were divided into three groups based on resin type: Viscalor thermos-viscous composite, xtrafil bulk fill resin composite, and xtrafil bulk fil resin composite. After curing, finishing, and polishing, the restorations were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and Auto-Desk Auto-Cad program. Wear was determined using weight loss and optical profilometry integrated with an image analyzer system.
Data were recorded, tabulated and statistically analyzed.
The study revealed a significant difference in gap percentage values across different groups, with Xtrafil having the highest value, followed by Xtrafil tempered and Viscalor.(p<0.001). Results of wear assessment showed that there was no significant difference between weight and volume loss measured in different groups (p>0.05).
Preheating bulk fil composite increased marginal adaptability but may not improve wear resistance.