Methacrlyate-Thiol-Ene Systems as Dental Restoration Materials

While more aesthetically pleasing than the amalgam fillings, composite dental materials fail to match the performance and lifespan of the traditional fillings. The main cause of failure is the shrinkage and shrinkage stress induced upon polymerization. By using a methacrylate-thiol-ene system we identified a resin with reduced shrinkage stress and comparable mechanical properties to the current industrial standard, BisGMA/TEGDMA. This study concerned itself with three tests to evaluate the resin systems. The systems were tested for cure speed and conversion, mechanical properties, and shrinkage stress. The methacrylate-thiol-norbornene systems provided the best results and are recommended for future studies.