# Comparison of Bulk Polymeric Resin Composite and Hybrid Glass Ionomer Cement in Adhesive Class I Dental Restorations: A 3D Finite Element Analysis

## TL;DR

This study compares the mechanical behavior of two dental restoration materials using 3D modeling to assess stress distribution in molars.

## Contribution

The study introduces a 3D finite element analysis comparing hybrid glass ionomer cement and resin composites in class I dental restorations.

## Key findings

- Model C with hybrid glass ionomer cement showed stress peaks similar to a sound tooth.
- Non-shrinking materials like hybrid glass ionomer reduced stress in deep cavities.
- Bi-layer techniques with bulk resin composites also reduced stress but less effectively than hybrid cement.

## Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the mechanical behavior of resin composites and hybrid glass ionomer cement in class I adhesive dental restorations under loading and shrinkage conditions. Three CAD models of a mandibular first molar with class I cavities were created and restored with different techniques: a bi-layer of Equia Forte HT with Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative composite (model A), a single layer of adhesive and Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative (model B), and a single layer of Equia forte HT (model C). Each model was exported to computer-aided engineering software, and 3D finite element models were created. Models A and B exhibited a similar pattern of stress distribution along the enamel–restoration interface, with stress peaks of 12.5 MPa and 14 MPa observed in the enamel tissue. The sound tooth, B, and C models showed a similar trend along the interface between dentine and restoration. A stress peak of about 0.5 MPa was detected in the enamel of both the sound tooth and B models. Model C showed a reduced stress peak of about 1.2 MPa. A significant stress reduction in 4 mm deep class I cavities in lower molars was observed in models where non-shrinking dental filling materials, like the hybrid glass ionomer cement used in model C, were applied. Stress reduction was also achieved in model A, which employed a bi-layer technique with a shrinking polymeric filling material (bulk resin composite). Model C’s performance closely resembled that of a sound tooth.