EFFECT OF MESOPOROUS FILLERS ON THE COMPRESSION AND AGING PROPERTIES OF EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL COMPOSITES

1 . However, hydrolysis of silane coupling between the filler and resin in oral environment might significantly reduce the mechanical properties of dental composites over time 2 . The limitations of silane coupling agents can be overcome by improving the bonding between filler particles and the matrix of dental composite through micro mechanical interlocking of the two phases 3, 4 . In the absence of chemical bonding, there is no concern about hydrolytic debonding at the filler- polymer matrix interface. Nanoporous silica fillers have been tested as potential reinforcing agents in dental composites and have been shown to improve the wear resistance 5 . Luo et al 5 showed that the wear resistance depended on the nature of nanoporous structure present in those fillers. In this work, we explored the use of mesoporous (or more generally nanoporous) silica as fillers to prepare experimental composites. The porous silica was prepared from the nonsurfactant-templated sol-gel reactions as developed in our labroatory 6,7 . The mechanical and aging properties of these experimental dental composites with the nanoporous silica fillers were investigated. In addition, the effect of mesoporous filler heat treatment on the compressive modulus of the composites was studied.