Effect of aging and curing mode on the compressive and indirect tensile strength of resin composite cements

BACKGROUND: Resin composite cements are used in dentistry to bond ceramic restorations to the tooth structure. In the oral cavity these cements are subjected to aging induced by masticatory and thermal stresses. Thermal cycling between 5 and 55 °C simulates the effect of varying temperatures in vitro. Purpose of this study was to compare indirect tensile to compressive strength of different cements before and after thermal cycling. The effect of the curing mode was additionally assessed. METHODS: Indirect tensile strength and compressive strength of 7 dual-curing resin composite cements (Multilink Automix, Multilink SpeedCem, RelyX Ultimate, RelyX Unicem 2 Automix, Panavia V5, Panavia SA Plus, Harvard Implant semi-permanent) was measured. The specimens were either autopolymerized or light-cured (n = 10). The mechanical properties were assessed after 24 h water storage at 37 °C and after aging (20,000 thermo cycles) with previous 24 h water storage at 37 °C. RESULTS: Indirect tensile strength ranged from 5.2 ± 0.8 to 55.3 ± 4.2 MPa, compressive strength from 35.8 ± 1.8 MPa to 343.8 ± 19.6 MPa. CONCLUSIONS: Thermocyclic aging of 20,000 cycles can be considered a suitable method to simulate the degradation of indirect tensile strength but not compressive strength of resin composite cements. The effect of thermocycling and the curing mode on the resin composite cements is material dependent and cannot be generalized.