Fatigue strength and Weibull characteristics of fiber-reinforced inlay-retained resin-bonded fixed dental prosthesis: could bulk-fill composites substitute hybrid resin composite?

This study evaluated the load-bearing capacity of fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) direct inlay-retained resin-bonded fixed dental prosthesis (RBFDP) made bulk-fill or conventional hybrid resin – composites after cyclic loading. Sound human teeth (N = 50) were embedded in acrylic until cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and randomly divided into five experimental groups to receive RBFDPs: (a) Sonic Fill (SF-KaVo Kerr Dental), (b) Venus Bulk (VB-Kulzer), (c) Quixfill (QF-Dentsply DeTrey), (d) Tetric EvoCeram (TE-Ivoclar Vivadent), (e) Clearfil Photo Posterior (CP-Kuraray). All RBFDPs reinforced with E-glass fiber (everStick). While premolar pontics build up incrementally group CP, other applied bulk. subjected loading for 1.2 × 106 cycles water at intervals 60 s between 5 °C 55 °C. Initial (Finitial) maximal (Fmax) (Newton) measured Universal Testing Machine (1 mm/min). Data analyzed using two-way ANOVA Tukey’s tests (α 0.05). Significant difference was found Finitial (142 ± 84 284 198) Fmax (408 65 688 306) (p<.05). resins (SF, VB, QF, TE) did not show significant (CP) terms values (p>.05). Weibull distribution (1.63–2.03) lower than those shape (2.05–8.39) where TE showed highest results. CP more repairable failures. Bulk-fill could be an alternative fabrication FRC RBFDPs.