Mechanical behaviour of dental composite filling materials using digital holography

Abstract

One of the most common clinical problems in dentistry is tooth decay. Among the dental filling materials used to repair tooth structure that has been destroyed by decay are dental amalgam and composite materials based on acrylics. Dental amalgam has been used by dentists for the past 150 years as a dental restorative material due to its low cost, ease of application, strength, durability, and bacteriostatic effects. However its safety as a filling material has been questioned due to the presence of mercury. Amalgam possesses greater longevity when compared to other direct restorative materials, such as, composite [1]. However, this difference has decreased with continual development of composite resins [2].