Indications and mechanical properties of conventional composite resins and bulk-fill composites: literature review

Abstract

Composite resins are restorative materials widely used in dental offices due to their mechanical properties, aesthetics and clinical performance. However, the polymerization shrinkage present in conventional composites is still a major limitation. In this context, resins called bulk-fill, or filling resins, were developed, which have the possibility of inserting a single increment in the dental cavity due to less polymerization shrinkage, better mechanical properties, easy execution, and as a consequence the decrease in clinical time. However, there is still no consensus in the literature regarding the effectiveness and durability of this material. The objective of this study was to carry out a bibliographic review on bulk-fill resins and their comparison with conventional resins. Scientific articles in Portuguese and English from 2002 to 2019 were searched in the databases Medical Publications (PUBMED) and Scientific Eletronic Library Online (SCIELO), with 50 papers selected for full reading based on the inclusion criteria: language in English or Portuguese and publications made in the last twenty years and exclusion criteria: articles that did not address the central theme of the study, publications in languages other than English or Portuguese, electronic articles not available for full reading and periodicals outside the established period. According to the researched bibliography, filling resins are an option of restorative material, which have been showing success similar to that found in rehabilitation with conventional composite resins.