Effect of fiber volume fraction and length on the wear characteristics of glass fiber-reinforced dental composites

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.