Effect of different percentages of silica nanofibers filler loads on mechanical and physical properties of flowable composite resins

Dental composites are important in the spectra of restorative materials. Ability to match the color of natural dentition is an appealing characteristic of composite restorations. Additionally, they can be bonded physically to the tooth, which limits the amount of tooth preparation required and thereby conserves healthy tooth structure. In relation to other restorations like amalgams, non–metallic compositions of dental composites have exhibited good biocompatibility. The dental composites are composed of a resin matrix containing a blend of bis-GMA (bis-phenol A-glycidyldimethacrylate) or urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) along with TEGDMA (tetraethylglycidylmethacrylate). Novel techniques for the reinforcement of these resinbased composites continue in a research and development phase, since the existing resinfiller systems may not be suitable for long term applications in large restorations. The nanofillers reinforced composite resins had shown promising results. Silica-based nanoparticles and clusters are blended with larger-sized fillers and are available commercially for restoring large posterior restorations. These nanoparticles, offer poor crack blunting ability due to their shape and very small diameters and also improves the stiffness of the composites. However, addition of fibers, by virtue of their geometry and very large aspect ratios, may provide better resistance to fracture. The objective of this