Effect of Filler Content and Waiting time Before Light-Curing on Mechanical Properties of Dual-Cured Cement

To investigate the effect of filler content and the time spent before light-curing on mechanical properties of dual-cured cement. Experimental dual-cured resin cements were formulated with 60, 65 or 68wt% of filler. The viscosity of experimental cement was measured using a digital viscometer. Bar-shaped specimens (25 x 2 x 2 mm) were fabricated, while the light-curing was started immediately or 5 minutes after the insertion of cement into the mold (n = 7). A three-point bending test was performed and the values of flexural strength and elastic modulus were measured. The Vickers hardness of fractured specimens was measured on the surface of the cement. Data from viscosity were submitted to oneway ANOVA, while the data from mechanical properties were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. All pair-wise comparisons were performed using Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). The experimental cement with 68wt% of filler showed the highest viscosity and those with 60wt% showed the the lowest viscosity. Irrespective of the time spent before light-curing, the cement with 65wt% of filler presented the highest values of flexural strength and elastic modulus. The addition of 60wt% of filler resulted in the lowest elastic modulus, while 68wt% of filler resulted in lowest flexural strength. Regarding the hardness, the cement with 68wt% of filler showed the highest values, while there was no difference between 60 and 65wt% of filler. Filler content affected the mechanical properties of the experimental cement and this effect did not depend on the waiting time before the light-curing procedure.