The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-heating on some physical properties of composite resin.

Eighty extracted, noncarious human molars were used in the present study. Four different temperatures of composite resin were used: 4℃, 17℃, 48℃, and 56℃. The 4℃ and 17℃ values represented the refrigerator storage temperature and room temperature respectively. For 48℃ and 56℃, composite resin was heated to the temperatures. As physical properties of composite resin, shear bond strength, microhardness, and degree of conversion were measured. The data for each group were subjected to one-way ANOVAs followed by the Tukey's HSD test at 95% confidence level.

Both in enamel and dentin, among composite resin of 4℃, 17℃, 48℃, and 56℃, the pre-heated composite resin up to 56℃ revealed the highest shear bond strength, and pre-heated composite resin to the higher temperature revealed higher shear bond strength.

Microhardness value was also higher with composite resin of higher temperature.

Degree of conversion was also higher with composite resin of the higher temperature.

In this study, it seems that pre-heating composite resin up to the higher temperature may show higher shear bond strength, higher microhardness value, and higher degree of conversion. Therefore, when using composite resin in the clinic, preheating the composite resin could be recommended to have enhanced physical properties of it.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of thickness, filling methods and curing methods on the polymerization of dual cured core materials by means of microhardness test.

Two dual cured core materials, MultiCore Flow (Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Schaan, Liechtenstein) and Bis-Core (Bisco Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA) were used in this study. 2 mm (bulky filled), 4 mm (bulky filled), 6 mm (bulky and incrementally filled) and 8 mm (bulky and incrementally filled)-thickness specimens were prepared with light cure or self cure mode. After storage at 37℃ for 24 hours, the Knoop hardness values (KHN) of top and bottom surfaces were measured and the microhardness ratio of top and bottom surfaces was calculated. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Scheffe multiple comparison test, with α = 0.05.

The effect of thickness on the polymerization of dual cured composites showed material specific results. In 2, 4 and 6 mm groups, the KHN of two materials were not affected by thickness. However, in 8 mm group of MultiCore Flow, the KHN of the bottom surface was lower than those of other groups (p < 0.05). The effect of filling methods on the polymerization of dual cured composites was different by their thickness or materials. In 6 mm thickness, there was no significant difference between bulk and incremental filling groups. In 8 mm thickness, Bis-Core showed no significant difference between groups. However, in MultiCore Flow, the microhardness ratio of bulk filling group was lower than that of incremental filling group (p < 0.05). The effect of curing methods on the polymerization of dual cured composites showed material specific results. In Bis-Core, the KHN of dual cured group were higher than those of self cured group at both surfaces (p < 0.05). However, in MultiCore Flow, the results were not similar at both surfaces. At the top surface, dual cured group showed higher KHN than that of self cured group (p < 0.05). However, in the bottom surface, dual cured group showed lower value than that of self cured group (p < 0.05).