Effect of Rapid Polymerization on Water Sorption and Solubility of Bulk-fill Composites

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to examine the impact of rapid high-intensity polymerization on water sorption and solubility of a new generation of bulk-fill composite materials. Material and methodsFive materials were tested: a conventional composite Filtek Z250 (3M, St. Paul, USA) and four bulk-fill composites, Filtek One Bulk Fill (3M), Tetric PowerFill (Ivoclar Vivadent, Schaan, Liechtenstein), Tetric PowerFlow (Ivoclar Vivadent), SDR Plus (Dentsply, Konstanz, Germany). Composite specimens with a 9-mm diameter and a 2-mm height (n = 6) were polymerized with a high-intensity curing unit (Bluephase® PowerCure, Ivoclar Vivadent). The control group was polymerized for a total of 40 s on both sides (1193 mW / cm2) and 3s group for 3 s on one side (3053 mW/cm2). Water sorption and solubility were measured by ISO 4049 method up to 30 days of immersion. The results were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc correction. Different polymerization protocols for the same material were compared by t-test (p